


Taking Lessons

by yoailover4lyfe



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Drama, Fluff, Humour, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-27
Updated: 2013-07-01
Packaged: 2017-11-22 15:57:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 77,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/611592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yoailover4lyfe/pseuds/yoailover4lyfe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Canada just wanted to be noticed and Russia does after a G8 meeting. He then proposes a deal to help him be more visible and Matthew accepts but here's the catch. Little Matthew must also teach Mother Russia how to make friends the good and honest way...being nice. Multific...eventual boy love fluff. Ruscan BETA'ED</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: The Deal

It was another typical day at the G8 meeting. Canada went unnoticed in the background as the rest of the nations did their usual routine. The meeting was going nowhere and it did not seem to be getting any better.

"Hey, LISTEN to the HERO!...MY plan to improve everyone's economy is totally awesome!" , yelled the energetic American nation. "First we have to build Giant Robots! Then..."

The rest of the nations ignored America's outburst and went back to their usual activities. England was bickering with France. Italy was clinging on to Germany; Ludwig was trying to escape while keeping himself composed. China was handing out crispy treats to Japan, which Kiku was gracefully accepting. Russia was being a creep and staring at everyone with his smile.

What Canada was trying to do...Well, he tried to speak up, but sadly no one was paying attention to him.

"Speak up," said Kumajirou, Canada's pet nudging his master's arm.

Matthew sighed. "I tried, Kumajiki...but no one even realized that I'm even here..."

Canada then looked down only to find that his bear had fallen asleep.

Am I so invisible that my own bear would ignore me? Canada rationalized in his head.

He heaved another depressed sigh as he continue to stare to the scene unfolding between his brother and his former caretakers.

So far it was a draw on all sides. No forces were showing any signs of faltering.

That was, until Germany interrupted the chaos.

"WILL YOU GUYS SHUT UP!"

"What?"

"AIYAAH...MY EARS ARU!"

"Yes, Mr. Germany."

"..." *sips vodka*

"Hey! I was right in the middle of something very important!"

"Bloodly wanker...you didn't need to shout."

"Vee~! Doisu!"

"Maple!"

Germany was slightly impressed that he had not lost his touch at getting all the nations' attention.

"This meeting is going nowhere!...Once you guys are done acting like children, we will continue this meeting like adults next time. Until then this meeting is over!"

Germany's speech did affect the nations: the silence between them lasted for a few minutes. Germany then proceeded to leave the conference room, and soon Japan and Italy followed suit. "Vee~! Doistu...wait for me!"pleaded the northern Italian nation with Japan silently walking behind him.

It was only matter of seconds for the rest of the nations to follow suit. England decided to continue his argument with France with America doing the commentary.

China then left, speaking about the immaturity of the nations.

Kumajirou was awake after Germany's outburst. The polar bear did say, "Food."

"Oh...right, here ya go," Canada said as he pulled out some fish from his suitcase. The bear leaped from his lap and began to ate his food happily.

"Thanks...who are you again?" the polar asked, which made Canada depressed again.

"I'm Canada...your owner that just fed you just a few moments ago?" said Canada, repeating the same chant over again.

Matthew's mood lessened and his polar did not notice his master's mood change.

So much for man's best friend...Wait, that did not apply to polar bears...but still. Canada might reconsider getting a dog.

"Oh," muttered the polar bear and resumed eating.

Canada sighed again and began to rant to himself.

"I just wish people would notice me...I don't cause wars with other countries. I'm polite and courteous to others. In fact, I do establish many international relations and I do my part to maintain world peace!"

Canada's voice became louder, but others would perceive his voice to be at a speaking level. When Matthew spoke normally, it sounded more like a whisper.

"WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR SOMEONE TO NOTICE ME! DO I HAVE TO TALK TO IMAGINARY FRIENDS LIKE ENGLAND OR MOLEST COUNTRIES LIKE FRANCE OR BETTER YET I'LL ACT LIKE A COMPLETE IDIOT AND SHOVE BURGERS DOWN MY THROAT AND SHOUT 'I'M THE HERO!'"

"That would not be good idea...We do not need two America's...Da?" said a voice, interrupting the Canadian's rant.

"AHHHHH!" Canada shrieked like a little girl who pretended to be manly about it.

"Russia!...How long were you there?" asked the Canadian as his embarrassment grew.

Russia wore his cute smile. "Da...I was here when you feed bear."

Well, Canada's day could not get any worse! First thing in the morning. England had finally called him, only to rant about some prank America did to his tea. Then when he was heading towards the conference room, he got assaulted by Cuba mistaking him for Alfred for the umpteenth time. Afterwards, France molested him before break when he went to use the rest room, only to encounter the Frenchmen waiting for him. Lastly, he had to suffer from Gilbert's gloating about how awesome he was and the attempted rape of his vital regions.

Canada was still glad that somebody had noticed.

"Wait, do you know who you are speaking to?" Canada just had to ask...it sounded too good to be true that someone was speaking to him and not mistaking him for Alfred.

Russia's face morphed into confusion and he titled his head slightly to the left. "Da...I'm speaking to Comrade Canada...is this a game?"

Matthew sighed in relief and then nodded in agreement, which led to Russia being more confused.

Canada then asked why he had decided to stay behind. Russia explained that he was in no hurry to leave and wanted to enjoy his vodka in peace.

Canada did not further question him. He was glad that he was recognized, so he did not want to lose Russia's company. Ivan continued to sip his vodka and stared at the smaller nation and his melancholy state. Kumajirou was done eating and decided to take another nap.

Canada then remembered his rant and then moped about his current problem. He placed his head down at the table for a few seconds then he peeked at Russia to find him staring at him.

"Maple," whimpered the Canadian as Russia's face began to look terrifying and he saw "kolkolkolkol" and the famous purple aura radiating off the tall Russian.

"Oh my Maple Leaf! Russia's going to kill me for apparently no reason at all! Great, just what I need for people to remember me as: 'the boy who spoke to Russia and did not live to tell the tale'," thought Matthew as he saw his life flash before his eyes.

"I have idea to help with your problem...but it will cost you," the Russian innocently suggested with a smile on his face, but his tone laced with evil. Matthew shuddered at what prospect that Ivan proposed.

"What-t...is it?...I mean if is-is within my powers and doesn't involve killing, humiliation or destroying my dignity?" questioned Matthew, his voice lace with unease. Russia then giggled and patted his head in an attempt to calm the Canadian.

"Da...That would be funny, but sadly it not any of those." When Canada heard those words, he felt at ease.

Russia was silent until he said, "I would like for you to help me make a friend."

""EHHHHH?" was Matthew's quick response.

Canada then looked at Russia's mauve eyes, searching for any sincerity or any truth hiding there that would reveal his actual intentions.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"Nyet...I will not say it again." Russia felt very stupid making his request.

He thought about his plan and assumed that Canada would help him out; he knew well that if the nation was ever under attack, there would be allies willing to defend him. After the fall of the USSR, Russia felt lonely, andmany years of being alone had made Ivan crack and want nothing more than companionship. He saw how the other nations had someone to go and be with. Russia just wanted a friend to be with too.

"Please...Russia...It's hard to believe that someone like you is asking a favour from someone like me," coaxed the Canadian as he placed a hand gently on his left forearm.

Ivan stood and did not budge. Russia then looked at Canada. "If you teach me how to make friends...I'll make you big...I mean I'll make you noticed, da?"

Canada did think for a minute before replying, "Sure..I guess..I mean this would benefit both of us...so it's like a give or take relationship..eh?"

Russia then smiled sincerely as he bear-hugged the arctic nation. When he released him, Canada was breathless.

"Now you come to my house at 6 tonight for your first lesson...oh, and bring favourite weapon and vodka," ordered the Russian. Ivan then walked towards the door.

"Ehhh?" Canada was surprised at the order.

Ivan paused and did not face the Canadian. "We will take turns taking lesson from each other. Da? I do not want the others to know of our business."

The way he said it left no room for argument. Canada thought that Russia did have a good point. If his brother or his caretakers did find out he was taking private lessons from Russia, it would be troublesome for both parties.

"Ok then...wait, why do I have to bring a weapon and vodka?" Matthew asked. "I don't drink or have a weapon."

Ivan then laughed at Canada's obliviousness. The Russian turned his head to look at Matthew's face. He said, "The weapon is necessary for your lesson...the vodka is for me...teaching fee."

He then closed the door, leaving Canada shocked and his mouth agape.

Kumajirou appeared and said, "Vodka breath is trouble."

Little Canada was in for the ride of his life...he just hoped that he was still alive by the time his first lesson was over.


	2. Russia teaches Canada Lesson one

Russia was sitting at home waiting in his favorite love seat, expecting his student to arrive on time for his first lesson. He made sure that the Baltics and his two sisters were not present when he was alone with the Canadian. The Baltics and Katyusha were the easiest to get rid of but Belarus...was another battle that he might not manage to succeed in.

Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia were ordered to enter into the soundproof basement to continue their daily chores. The Baltics knew to never disobey Mother Russia or face the wrath of his blood stained pipe he could use to beat them into a bloody pulp. Russia did love to make them squirm and shake in fear, particularly when he used threats or when he shows them his pipe. It was always a fun way to kill time.

He then called Katyusha and said the magic words "Gas bill", which would make Ukraine go cry to her and promise to pay back her debt, resulting in her hanging up phone. Ivan did not like to make her cry; he always wanted to make his sisters happy and would do anything for them...except marrying Natayla.

Lastly, Ivan managed to trick Natalya to leaving her house by simply hiding and waiting for her to grow tired and give up. Russia had created and installed multiple hidden rooms and secret passage-ways leading to locked and Belarus-proof rooms in his grand estate. Whenever Natayla came along to drag Ivan into a forced marriage, Ivan would use one of his infinite escape routes.

Russia did believe that when fighting an enemy, it is best to be prepared–especially when that enemy is a deranged, obsessive, incestuous little sister.

Ivan did get the house to himself and wondered if Matthew would bring some decent vodka after going through a Belarus-induced turmoil.

Ivan had set up a wonderful lesson to help the boy be more confident in himself. He was a bit nervous considering how meek and timid Canada was. Russia was afraid that the boy would break under his strict and unorthodox methods. He just hoped that he did not chicken out and try to double cross him...because they both knew that someone in the room would die a slow and painful death. A sound disturbed his train of thought.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Ivan heard the door and looked at his clock which read 6:00 pm.

He smiled. "Canada is punctual...That is good, da." He then proceeded to open the door.

He saw Canada without his pet bear, but he had brought the vodka and what appeared to be a hockey stick? Matthew's face showed nervousness and his shoulders slumped. Ivan thought to himself, "By the end of lesson,he will be confident like bear." With this thought, he then let Canada enter his home.

"Vodka, Comrade," he said as he held out his hand. The first order of business was to collect his fee. Canada shyly gave him his vodka. Ivan opened the bottle and took a sip. He then hummed, "Very good for someone who claims to not drink..." He then took a few more swallows, relishing the flavor. "How do you know this brand?"

It was Canada's turn to smile a knowing smirk. "Well...I may be invisible but I am observant...I notice you taking the same brand of vodka to the world and G8 meetings...and besides I am 'paying' you for your services, so I have to provide good vodka, eh?"

Ivan then giggled and Canada gave him a small smile.

"Where is your bear?" Russia asked. He had assumed that Canada's weapon would be his pet bear.

Canada then answered, "Well...it was unexpected for you to ask for a weapon...so I did think of Kumabata, but I could not do something so inhumane as to turn my own bear into a killing machine...so I thought long and hard and decided to use my hockey stick."

"I see." Ivan had observed Matthew's use of his hockey stick in his hockey matches, especially during the hockey games that they had shared in the past. Whenever Matthew did play hockey, especially against Russia, he saw a different side of Canada; a more violent and aggressive side that Ivan did want to see more of.

"We start lesson...Da?" Ivan said as he stole the hockey stick from his hand. "First try to look scary. Glare at Russia."

"Ehhh?" Canada thought he was hearing things.

"Da...I said try to look intimidating."

Ivan grinned and a dark aura was surrounding the tall Russian. "Do not make me repeat myself...or do I have to use hockey stick on you? Da?" Ivan was fiddling around with Matthew's hockey stick.

Canada was puzzled at the strange request but he was determined to go through this lesson. Maybe he should have brought a pillow, if he knew that Russia was going to use it against him...Canada's face was begin to form...but it resulted in a very tired and sad look. Wait, even if he did bring a pillow, Russia's massive strength could still make it hurt just like his faucet pipe.

Ivan stared. "That's all...I expected at least for you to look mad." Russia was disappointed. He began to wonder if Canada had ever tried to scare anybody at all.

Canada was embarrassed that he could not even succeed at intimidating anybody at all. Besides, Matthew was more of a peace-maker, not a fighter. He never would even dream of using force or threats to get people's attention...he would usually talk to them (once he got the other nations to notice), and he could be very persuasive.

"Sorry...I can't scare anyone to save my own life...eh?" Canada apologized. He looked dejected and was beginning to think this was a waste of time. Ivan did look solemn at the arctic nation's words and soon a wild idea popped in his head.

He then giggled and began to swing the hockey stick at Matthew. Without a second lost, Canada quickly dodged it and was more surprised by the sudden attack.

"Russia what are you doing...please stop that!" he pleaded with his arms in front of him as a barrier. Russia did not stop and ignored Canada's plea.

Canada was thinking, "What the maple syrup did I do to piss him off that he would kill me for?"

"Drastic measures...I see that this is going to be a long night," Ivan admitted. He then tried to attack Canada again with a horizontal swipe, at which Matthew backtracked quickly. Ivan wanted to test out Matthew's claimthat he couldn't scare anyone to save his life. Maybe the pressure of his life being threatened would give Canada the adrenaline rush to finally glare?

Ivan really hope he was right or what he predicted could be true.

"You are very fast for someone so small," he said, his voice filled with irritation as he missed the Canadian's head.

Canada was successfully dodging the endless fury of swipes and jabs. As the dodging increased, his anger started to rise; "Please this stop this!...I did not ask for this...Russia!" Matthew scanned his surroundings and found that he was surrounded by furniture and would soon be backed against the wall. Ivan noticed Canada's frustration and was pleased by it.

"Nyet...you know what you must do for me to stop...Glare at me," the tall Russian commanded and stood in front of Matthew. He raised his arms, and the hockey stick was above Canada's head. The pent up anger started to erupt and before the Russian made the final strike...his eyes met Canada's and what he saw shook him to the core.

Another dodge and Canada was angry that Russia was still not listening to his pleas. In the back of Matthew's mind, he wanted to glare at him so he could just stop the attacks. Something in his soul snapped when Russia'sattack bruised his right shoulder. Ivan's lips curved into a small smile that illustrated how happy he was to actually hit him. He had been starting to think he was losing his touch.

He prepared another strike, but Ivan's arms stopped dead in their tracks; Canada had managed to pull of a successful glare; it was so scary that it would rival Russia's. Russia would not admit to this, but his heart did skip abeat, though his face did not express his newfound fear. With his poker face on and after a few nano-seconds he tried to resume his attack. Ivan wanted to be sure that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

He was about to strike Canada's head. "Not bad...for your first try...but I will try to hit you, da." Canada stayed calm and was surprised at his courage. He then glared directly at Ivan; the look on Matthew's face was so scary it was as scary as Belarus's face. "You will stop this, eh? ...Now."

Ivan just thought, when did his balls suddenly drop?

Ivan then stopped his attack (and dropped Canada's stick) before hugging the Canadian bear style. Matthew did not have the time to compose himself.

"Well done, Comrade!" Ivan said as he continued to hug the Canadian.

Canada tried to regain his breath and squirmed slightly from the pain he felt in his shoulder. "Gee thanks..." the Canadian muttered. He might sound mad, but deep inside he felt great about his successful lesson.

Ivan released his arms, which led to Matthew stepping back and fixing his outfit. Both nations took a break before they resumed the lesson.

"Comrade...you did very well," he said as he took a sip of vodka. Canada took the compliment and said modestly, "Well...I have a crazy teacher. Nevertheless, is very effective, eh?"

Ivan felt a mix of pride and hurt. Did he just insult Mother Russia? Ivan did not like to get his pride wounded, and he glared at the Canadian. He expected Matthew to shake in fear, but he didn't. He saw his glare reflected back at him.

Russia laughed. "Well...I am underestimating your abilities little one..." He then patted Canada on the head. Canada was surprised by the kind gesture and his face went back to normal.

"Well...people say I'm a quick learner," he said with a hint of smugness. Canada then walked towards Ivan. "Who knows, in time the student may exceed the master, eh?"

Ivan looked cocky as he said while laughing, "We will see...I wouldn't be too sure about that."

Canada did not speak and enjoyed the silence between them. After the whole ordeal, he had just noticed how his right shoulder was crying out in pain.

Matthew's face showed signs of pain and discomfort. Ivan noticed. "Canada needs help, da?...I have first aid kit," the Russian said to Matthew.

The Canadian did notice the hint of regret in his tone. He sighed. "Sure...I hope my shoulder isn't broken...that was a great hit Russia. I almost thought I wouldn't escape." Canada felt somewhat bad for making him feel guilty about his injury.

"Don't sweat it...it doesn't hurt as bad as that." Matthew then removed his shirt, trying his best not to worsen his condition. "See...it isn't broken, eh?"

Russia did not believe it and went to get the first aid. Ivan did not want to hurt the boy as much as he normally wanted to, which surprised him. He still liked hurting people and seeing their faces in pain, but something about seeing the arctic nation hurt just didn't sit right by him. He pushed his confusion aside to treat his new patient.

"I try not to use too much force on you...you need to be alive for next lesson." He spoke nonchalantly as he fixed up Canada's bruised shoulder. Canada whimpered at Ivan's touch, but it felt surprisingly gentle. Matthew did not mind it.

"Comrade," Ivan sighed, "I hope that this does not discourage you from continuing lesson...Da?"

Matthew was about to answer back but he saw the look on Russia's face was serious. "I noticed during fight...you were getting angry, which I find helps with glaring," Ivan explained, and Matthew listened closely. Canada was also curious to know why the Russian had attacked him.

"So, you thought that getting me angry would somehow make me glare?" the Canadian rephrased with a dumbfounded look, and he then laughed. Ivan was also dumbfounded at Canada's reaction; Ivan was beginning to think he actually hit the Canadian too hard or something.

"In some strange twisted logic...I somewhat agree...sadly," the Canadian sighed and soon Ivan nodded. The awkwardness between them was cleared and it was 11:45 pm.

"Not bad for first lesson," Ivan said. "I'm looking forward to Comrade Canada's lesson."

Matthew shyly said, "Yeah...me too." Matthew got himself ready to depart and picked up his hockey stick.

"Ohh...I almost forgot...Russia do not forget to bring a notebook and a pen. Bring something to drink," the younger boy reminded the Russian.

Ivan agreed but asked, "Comrade, I thought you claim not to drink...or is there something you are not telling me, da?"

Matthew giggled and said, "I did not lie, Russia...I require a teaching fee too, don't you forget." He was about to open the door before he heard Russia's final question.

"What the hell do I bring then?"

Canada replied back, "Surprise me," and closed the door.

Somehow Russia felt a major headache emerging and he guzzled his remaining vodka.

He was unable to sleep due to the feelings of dread in his heart.


	3. Canada teaches Russia Lesson two

"AWWWW...but why can't I stay here, bro?" Alfred whined as Matthew looked miffed at his complaint. Why did Alfred have to come to his house when he was about to expect a visitor?

"Sorry Alfred, but you have to come at another time...I'm expecting someone," the Canadian apologized, and he saw Alfred's 'kicked puppy look', which made Matthew feel somewhat guilty.

Matthew sighed as he tried to convince America to leave his house. He always anticipated his twin's 'unannounced visits', but he loved the sentimental gesture when Alfred did actually remember Canada's existence. Regardless, Alfred's visits always made Matthew tired and frustrated at his twin's obnoxious behaviour and how he somehow always left him to clean up the messes he made.

"Mattie...Don't be like that dude. I wanted to surprise ya and cheer ya up! Like a good brother does!" the American said as he pointed his index finger in the air.

Matthew tilted his head slightly. "Al...you did not come here because England kicked you out of his house again, did you?"

Alfred gasped, "No...how can you think something like that...I'm way too awesome to be kicked out by some old geezer..."

He then looked dejected. Matthew stared at Alfred for a few minutes, clearly not believing the American's words.

"Ok, fine...he did kick me out...but that was only cuz' I made fun of his scones! He got mad cuz he can't take a joke."

He then did his animated laugh, and Canada sighed again and muttered, "How very like you."

Alfred looked around the living room and noticed the layout. There was a chalkboard and a student desk in front of it. The dinner table was missing and had been replaced with an office desk. On the desk there was a red apple and a pile of books, which appeared to be manuals and storybooks for children.

"Hey Mattie...what's with the classroom look...you doing something here, or you miss school or something?" Alfred asked with a confused look on his face.

Matthew did not like to lie to his brother, but he had promised Ivan that he would keep these lessons private. He attempted to change the subject and hoped the America's ADHD would take effect.

"Well...you see...I wanted to rearrange my furniture, and it somehow reminded me of the good times we shared when we lived under Britain's rule," Canada said nervously, hoping that Al would take the bait.

"Remember that time when England home schooled us and tried to teach us math...you did not learn anything at all, so England made you wear the 'dunce cap' and made you sit in the corner of the room." Hearing Matthew's words, Alfred had a flashback and recalled the fun times that he and his twin had shared.

He scoffed at that particular memory. "That was because you told me the wrong answer to that math problem...you were so mean...not cool, dude."

Matthew chuckled lightly. "Well...if you had done your homework like you were supposed to, you wouldn't have had to try to beg for the answers."

Alfred puffed in irritation, "Dude, you were suppose to help like a good brother...besides, homework is for losers." Canada just stared at Alfred and did not comment.

"Whatever...have fun, Mattie." America waved as he made his exit. "I'll go and chill with Japan and play some video games. Later dude."

Matthew was relived that his brother was gone. "Yeah...have fun."

"Finally," the Canadian thought as he looked at the clock. It read: 5:50 pm.

Canada did his best to fight his nerves. Matthew had never had the opportunity to teach anyone before. It would be a new experience for him (and it would be great for his self-esteem and confidence) that someone wantedto even pay attention to him, let alone learn from him. He really hoped he could pull this off, and he prayed that Russia did not kill him after this.

Knock Knock Knock.

"Coming!" Matthew quickly walked over to open the door.

He did not get the chance to calm himself down. He open the door to see Russia, and he was not looking too great.

Russia had a worried look his face, Canada observed. He also noticed that Russia's face displayed fear. His cheeks were slightly red. He was a bit sweaty and seemed worn out; it appeared that he had run quite a distance to reach Canada's house. Canada was about to ask what had happened, but Russia beat him to it.

"Belarus...I ran...came here...Da," he panted with short and quick breaths.

"Oh," Canada simply said as he understood.

Russia then smiled and entered the Canuck's household. Matthew understood Russia's fear for his younger sister; she was the definition of scary.

Canada felt the awkward silence and tried to break the ice. "So Russia...are you ready for your first lesson?"

Russia pulled himself together and answered straightforwardly, "Yes...but nervous da?"

It made Canada feel slightly better that he wasn't the only one feeling uneasy.

Russia took a few second to scan his surroundings. "Why do I feel like I'm at school?..."

Canada said, "Well, I'm teaching you, so I wanted to do it in a professional setting...so I changed the atmosphere."

Ivan kept a straight face and did not say anything else. Canada was starting to feel like a dork since so far, Russia did not seem impressed.

Canada then asked for Russia to take a seat. Russia did and found that his desk was too small for his large stature. He tried to get up but was unable to. He then realized that he was stuck. "You need bigger desk...da?".

Canada was just embarrassed and tried to help the Russian. "I'm so sorry, Russia...I never realized how big you are."

After a few minutes of tugging and pulling from both men, Russia was free. Ivan was muttering something in Russian, and Matthew could tell from the tone that he was displeased.

Could Canada's day get any worse? How pathetic he was that he could not conduct a proper lesson to someone at all; were his nerves getting the better of him? Matthew's thinking went downhill and he was soon so busycriticizing his own behaviour that he zoned out.

"Comrade...Hello..."

"Comrade Canada...it is Russia."

Canada snapped out of it when Ivan grabbed both of his shoulders and shook him silly. "Huh...What?"

"What do people say...the expression "you zoned' out...Da," Russia said. Matthew replied, scratching the back of his head, "Yeah...Anyway, I'll get you another chair. In the meantime, bring out your notebook and pencil."

Ivan got out the items and waited for Canada to bring a chair. "Find a big chair Comrade...we would not want the same thing to happen again...Da?"

Matthew did not need the reminder, but he could sense the irritation laced in the last phrase.

Minutes later, Canada found a larger chair and brought it to the living room. He saw Ivan standing with a pen and notebook. Canada looked at Russia's face and believed that he was still upset about the 'chair incident'. He now assumed that he would be killed if he continued to screw-up and push Ivan's buttons.

"Thank-you for chair...Da?" Russia said, and Canada replied politely, "You're welcome."

"So...um, let's get started then." Canada started to write something on the board. Ivan was curious so he waited. After a few seconds, Canada took a step back and Ivan saw a single word on the board which read:FRIENDSHIP

Ivan's face showed confusion and he asked, "Why did you write this word?...I thought you were teaching me on how to make friends?...Da."

Canada sighed. "Yes, we are...but we'll get to that in a few minutes...First I want to see your mentality about the concept," the Canadian explained, hoping that the Russian would agree to it. He did not want Ivan to be difficult throughout the lesson, always doubting him and questioning his actions.

"We'll brainstorm some ideas–anything about your thoughts, feelings, ideas about friends and/or friendship in general," Canada said, and he brought out a long ruler and placed it on the desk.

Russia noticed the measurement tool but did not ask why the Canadian would bring out such an item. Were they going to do measurements after this?

What did that have to do with making friends? More weird thoughts were circling in Ivan's mind, which Canada noticed, so he grabbed the ruler and smacked it on his desk.

"Ivan...pay attention!"

Ivan did not speak a word, as he was somewhat startled by the slapping sound caused by the Canadian. Matthew mumbled something about it being a long night. Both parties were getting fed up with each other'sbehaviour.

"So..umh...Russia, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of friendship?" Canada asked as he readied himself to write down Ivan's thoughts.

When someone brainstorms, it is a good idea to record without question, so Matthew stayed silent as he wrote. Ivan said each word with practiced ease. He did not relent nor show any emotion.

Ten minutes later, Canada was done and soon step back to see what he had written. The chalk board read in neatly printed words: people, happy, favours, vodka, not being alone, friends with benefits. Canada did not saya word as he looked at the words at the board. He tried to analyze it but could not figure it out.

"Well...I'm going to let you explain yourself," Matthew said, and Ivan nodded in understanding. "I will say the words in order and you just provide your reasons...ok?"

"People."

"You make friends with humans, not objects."

"Right," the Canadian agreed. At least Ivan is on the right track, the Canadian thought.

"Happy."

"If you have friends...you are happy...da."

"True again..." Matthew commented. "So far. So good"

"Favours."

"What I heard from people is that when you have a friend you can extort favours from them..is that right?"

"Sorta...usually friends do favours for each other because they owe them, or they do it just because they want to," Canada said simply. Ivan looked confused.

"Anyway...let's go on to the next word: vodka."

"I was thinking of vodka...I was thirsty because of the running...Da?" he admitted as he pulled out his bottle from his coat. He took a sip and sighed in relief. Canada looked irritated and saw Russia about to take a gulp, until a smack was heard on his desk, which prevented Ivan from drinking.

"Ivan...you must focus!...If you don't do the required work I may have to punish you," he commanded as he pointed with the giant ruler stick.

Ivan was taken aback by the Canadian's behaviour. Matthew's tone was now serious while he held the ruler with such authority. Russia did not like when someone threatened him, but coming from Canada, he found it to be humorous. Nevertheless, he realized that he was not taking this seriously and assumed that Canada was getting fed up.

He was still interested in his Comrade's lessons, so he replied back, "Comrade...I will answer properly, da?"

"That's Mr. Williams to you, Russia." Canada voice was quiet, but underneath it was strong like steel.

Russia was a little happy that Canada was revealing his confidence that his lessons are working...but he kept that to himself. Now, he was starting to think it was a game. France had mentioned his role-playing games to England...maybe this was done in private? Ivan decided to play along.

Canada was still waiting for Russia's reply. Ivan said straightforwardly with a blank face, "Mr. Williams...we continue lesson...da?"

"Of course. The next word is: not being alone."

"No one wants to be alone...it is not a nice feeling. Mother Russia does get lonely."

Russia did not want to admit that last part but somehow it slipped from his lips. He soon felt bad about his lonely life and it showed on his face. He felt pathetic, and an unknown feeling pooled in his stomach that he did notrecognize. Canada heard his reason and could relate to him. He nodded in understanding; he had his fair share of lonely times, and he too wallow at times in his own self-pity.

"True...I understand as well...I have my share of loneliness...it not nice either," Canada revealed.

Canada was starting to feel sympathetic towards the misunderstood Russian. He felt honoured to earn Russia's trust enough for him to reveal something so upsetting like that. He was now thinking that these private lessons weren't so bad and might benefit each other.

They were still silent a few moments later. Both parties did not want to disturb the shared moment between them. But Canada did want to continue the conversation, and he felt the sudden urge to know Ivan morepersonally. Nevertheless, he still had to continue his lesson, so he did not pry.

"The last word is 'friends with benefits'." Canada was curious to hear Ivan's remark.

"Da...I had a talk with France and he did mention this phrase...I assume he was thinking of having friends to have access to their nation's natural resources...but he scoffed at me and soon did his French laugh," the Russianexplained, and Matthew blushed at his father's perverted comments.

"Well, at least Russia did not think of the other uses of friends..." The Canadian cleared his thoughts as he tried to explain the phrase to his student.

"Russia...we don't make friends because we want their natural resources...isn't that manipulative?" The Canada said, and he was slightly disturbed at Russia's response.

Russia giggled. "Isn't that the reason why we form alliances with countries in the first place?"

Matthew scoffed, "No...not necessarily...it's like a bonus...but the main reasons could be political or economical benefits, or to help each other in times of war. I mean, the Axis were great friends with each other, and they were not after their natural resources," Canada continued, getting slightly defensive.

Russia smiled and Matthew stared at him.

"Da...but the Allies were just using each other to get the resources we needed. France was always using flattery to convince me to give my oil to him...but it did not work," Russia said as a comeback to Canada's previous statement.

Canada was getting fed up of Russia's skepticism, and soon another smack was heard from the board.

"We are getting off topic...one more outburst like that and I'll punish you," Canada said. Ivan did not say a word, but in his mind he was thinking he was right about the 'friends with benefits' idea. Canada did not want to continue Russia's silly argument and wanted to finish this lesson quickly; he must be getting a headache and wanted to feed Kumajoki.

"Ok then, let's get back on topic," Mr. Williams said, and he asked Russia how would he make a friend in his own way.

"I do not know how...that is why I'm asking you, da?" Ivan asked. His face was puzzled but his voice was miffed. Canada sighed angrily. "I want to know how you make friends, and if it's wrong I'll show you the right way. Ok?"

"Da...I understand." Ivan nodded and then explained, "I make friends by either making them 'become one with Russia', threats and violence, or forcing them to be my friend." Canada wondered how he could say those things like it was nothing. Canada was talking to Russia, out of all people, about a subject like this.

"Russia...you're not making friends...you're making more slaves and/or future enemies," Canada corrected. But Ivan looked dumbfounded.

"I do not understand."

"Russia...write these tips to help you get a friend, and compare your answer to these answers," Canada said with a dash of finality. Ivan got himself ready to write.

"Write these down," Canada said. Ivan wrote quickly. Twenty minutes later, there was a long list on the board, which read:

1\. Spend more time around people.

2\. Join an organization or club with people who have common interests.

3\. Join a sports team.

4\. Volunteer. Volunteering is a great way for people of all ages to meet others. By working together you build bonds with people, and you might meet others who have a passion for changing things the way you do (a common cause).

5\. Talk to people.

6\. Make eye contact and smile.

7\. Have a conversation.

8\. Make small talk. Keep the conversation light and cheery.

9\. Introduce yourself at the end of the conversation.

10\. Initiate a get-together.

11\. If you've discovered that the person you're talking to has a common interest, ask him or her more about it and, if appropriate, whether they get together with others (in a club, for example) to pursue this interest.

12\. Ask them out for lunch or coffee.

13\. Don't do anything to pressure someone into being friends with you.

14\. Be loyal to a friend.

15\. Be a good friend.

16\. Be reliable.

17\. Be a good listener.

18\. Be trustworthy.

19\. Choose your friends wisely.

21\. Encourage your friend.

22\. Get a job; many people meet and socialize that way.

23\. Be confident.

24\. Don't separate your friend from the rest of the group.

25\. Use a friendship matchmaking website to make new friends!

"From the list, Russia, you violate some rules...for instance, number 13. You don't force people to be your friend," Canada said confidently. He continued since Russia was silent and jotting down notes.

"This is a bad way to get friends, and you may lose future friends this way...Try to be a good friend by being reliable, or do numbers 14-18 and 21," Matthew explained, hoping it would get through Russia's thick skull.

Russia then understood. "Da Mr. Williams...I see being nice can get friends."

"I know it's a hard concept to get, but it will be worth the effort when you actually do get a friend by your own means."

"Da...we'll see...I will study these notes, da?" Ivan said but he was getting tired from sitting all night.

Canada was getting exhausted and decided to end the lesson. It was not a good idea to overwhelm Ivan.

"Not bad for a first lesson, eh?" Canada reverted back to his timid and stuttering self. Ivan noticed the switch of personality and smiled to himself.

"It was very interesting...Da?" Ivan said as he was getting ready to leave. Canada remembered something to tell him for next time.

"For homework, just talk to five people and record your conversation. Please get the person to sign it and give it to me, eh?"

"Why do I do that?...Isn't it strange...Da," Ivan questioned his so-called teacher. Matthew explained again why he had assigned such a strange task to him.

"Because...I'm interested to know what you say to people...and you can't fake it, so the signatures will be proof that you did the assignment." Ivan had not liked homework even as a child...he thought it was a waste of time. He had been a bright child, so he hadn't needed to do homework to understand the concept.

"Besides, it will help with numbers 5-9 on the list...great practice...eh?" the Canadian finished. Ivan did not like the idea, but it did make sense.

"I will do it...Da?" Ivan said with a slight pout. Canada smiled. "Great...you have two days to complete it."

Russia was about to open the door to let himself out but a voice interrupted his movements.

"Where is my drink?" Matthew asked innocently, but Ivan cursed the Canadian's memory. Russia did not face Matthew, but he did have a reason. "Belarus..." The Russian spoke this word like it was the reason for all the world's problems.

Canada sighed. "I understand...but it is still not an excuse."

Ivan thought his excuse would work...because he did not want the Canadian to know he had no drink to give.

Somehow Matthew knew something about Russia's real reason, judging by his haste to leave.

"Ok Russia...you owe me double," Canada said with an undertone of seriousness that made Ivan shiver.

"You now owe me a drink and something good to eat...and I don't mind something alcoholic...I may not drink it, but it's the thought that counts, eh?"

Ivan grumbled in Russian and muttered, "Fine...I will bring both drink and food."

"Oh, and Russia, please don't forget this time...eh?" Matthew teased playfully, getting back at him for the chair comment Ivan had said earlier.

Matthew heard the door slam after that phrase.

Kumabijiki appeared and asked for food again. Canada laughed about how cute it was that Ivan tried to be slick about not giving him his promised drink.

"This is getting better and better...that hoser was trying to weasel his way of not paying, eh? I got a surprise for him," the Canadian chuckled, and his mood lightened he went off to feed his short-term memory bear.


	4. Russia teaches Canada Lesson Two

Russia was sternly waiting for Comrade Canada to knock on his door. It was 6:05 pm and Ivan noticed he was running late. Russia decided that it would be best to get up from his comfy chair and stretch his legs. He had an unusual lesson for the Canadian. He hoped that Canada would have no problems with it, or he might have to hurt him again. Earlier, his thoughts would have been to almost kill Matthew if he failed at his first lesson, but the remarkable display of courage from the Canadian had made Ivan reconsider murder.

"I don't have the urge to kill Canada...that is good...Da," Russia thought aloud. One of Russia's habits is speaking to himself at random times.

He was not crazy at all. General Winter had tested him, after all.

Knock knock knock.

"It is open...enter," Russia said from across the room.

Ivan did not need to lock his doors, seeing how no one bothered to visit him unless they wanted to meet Mr. Pipe. He also knew that the Baltics could escape, but they knew it was useless: Russia would find them and drag them back.

The timid Canuck entered silently and swiftly towards the tall Russian. Russia noticed his posture. Matthew was slouched and his head tucked down. Ivan peered closer to find that Matthew was frowning and his eyebrows were furrowed.

Ivan did not like that face; he preferred him happy, or at least normal. He wanted to have his full and undivided attention; it was hard seeing him troubled. Ivan wanted to try to comfort him...he did not know how, but the look on Matthew's eyes compelled him to do so.

"If someone hurt Comrade Canada...I would make sure that that person will have lots of pain...da?"

Ivan voiced his thought aloud. Russia was thinking of the painful torture that would await the unfortunate victim, but a soft voice broke his concentration.

"Don't worry...it happens all the time," Matthew sighed, and soon bounced back happy to see Ivan showing concern for him.

He blushed and brought Ivan's vodka to him. Russia guessed that Matthew had been forgotten again, but nevertheless, he did not ask what had happened. He would bring up this issue again later. For now, he was full ofhappiness at the presence of his favourite drink.

"I did not ask for a fee," Ivan said with seriousness. His face said otherwise; his mouth twisted into a huge smile.

Canada then stuttered, "I know...but I wanted to give this to you...I'm still taking lessons from you and I don't know for how long eh? Till then, don't act surprised."

"Da..." Russia said quickly, and accepted his gift.

He open the cap and took a gulp.

Canada watched the whole display and thought, "He's like a child who gets excited at receiving candy...that's so endearing..."

Canada was daydreaming again, and he did not hear the Russian thank him for the drink.

"Pardon?" Matthew asked in embarrassment that he had not been paying attention.

Normally, Ivan would be annoyed at anyone who did not listen to him, but he was in a good mood due to the vodka, so he repeated himself this time.

"Da...I said 'thank-you'," he said in Russian. Matthew smiled at hearing Ivan's mother tongue.

Ivan then decided to look at the floor beside his left shoe, looking as though it was most interesting thing in the world to him. Matthew decided to reply back in his native tongue.

Canada said in French, "De rien."

Russia also enjoyed hearing French from Matthew: it was more angelic and soft than the harsh and guttural pronunciations he heard when France spoke to him. They both entered Russia's living room.

"We begin lesson...da?" the Russian announced, and Canada nodded eagerly. He was ready for any surprise attack coming from Russia.

He went into a fighting stance and yelled, "Ready!"

Ivan was dumbfounded and shifted his head cutely. "Da...I like your energy, but I won't attack you...that's for another time."

Canada, shocked at Russia's change of heart, sputtered, "So y-you aren't going to attack me?"

After a few seconds, Canada heard Ivan's answer: "Da?...Do you want me to attack you?...We can arrange for that, da?" Canada quickly answered, "Ehh?...Let's not do that..." as he was waving his arms animatedly. Ivansmiled. "I was teasing...Comrade." He ruffled Matthew's hair playfully. Canada blushed at his gentle touch. As Ivan was carefully stroking his hair, he was lost in thought. "Canada's hair is so soft...it is nice and silky...da."

Canada enjoyed the attention on his hair, especially when Russia stroked his hair down. It sent tingling sensations down his spine, but he realized that he had a lesson to complete, so he interrupted Ivan's musings.

"Um...Russia, would you stop...for now? I would like the lesson to start, eh?" Canada noticed that Russia looked dejected for a moment, but after a blink of an eye, Russia face was unreadable.

"Da...follow me," Russia said as if the interaction hadn't occurred at all.

Canada felt bad for ruining a fluffy moment between them. Maybe he would plan something for the both of them to enjoy without these lessons. Maybe an outing or something like that. Matthew shook his head; he was being silly. Russia wouldn't want to see him more than necessary.

Ivan was a bit saddened that Matthew had asked him to stop. He wanted to continue to play with his hair. Matthew did have a point, though, that he must continue his lesson. After all, he did bring vodka, and people who bring Russians vodka will always be in their good graces.

Ivan wouldn't mind spending more time with the Canadian. During these lessons, he has begun to enjoy his company and would like to do something together. Russia was starting to think he was crazy: Canada would not want to spend more time with him more than necessary. He dismissed his lingering thought and crushed his hope of quality time with Matthew.

"First, we will try to make you say no...If you able to do that, it will help you be assertive...Da." Russia explained his lesson and Matthew's objective:

"No violence this time...just say this little word to Mother Russia."

Canada was speechless, and after a nanosecond, he reacted in his usual way.

"EHHHHHHH?" Canada yelled in surprise. "You want me to do what?"

"Da...I want you to say no to me," Ivan said, as it was a simple task that a child could do.

"It is not rocket science...Da?" Russia kept a straight face and stared at the Canadian; with the extra inches in height, Russia looked even more intimidating and he towered over Matthew.

Canada nervously swallowed and quietly whispered, "Ok"

Why was Matthew feeling so nervous about this request? His over-active mind gave the answer, "No one dares to speak to Russia and say no to him..."

He remembered the rumours spreading around the meetings about the fear of denying Russia anything that he wanted, and that the outcome would be...lying on the floor, dead, with your brains splattered everywhere.

He shook his head and tried to regulate his heart rate. He wouldn't do that, Canada reasoned with himself, and took a deep breath. Ivan watched him and did not say a word. "Does it take him that long to say no...no wonder he gets pushed around...we fix that and he will say no like bear...da." Ivan had a small smile plastered on his face, which the Canadian did not like at all.

Canada was surprised at the odd but simple request. He had been expecting Ivan to try to use violence again to force him to do something.

Matthew thought that Russia was underestimating him again. Well, he should not doubt Canadians for sure. We can be tough–when necessary that is...

"Ok...then," Canada spoke as he took a deep breath. Ivan was still waiting. Canada did speak, but it was a whisper: "No."

"I cannot hear you...speak up a bit...da?" Ivan ordered. Canada hesitated again and repeated himself, but his volume raised to no more than a mutter. Russia was not pleased and did not acknowledge the change.

"Canada...do not make this hard..say 'no' like you mean it, or I have to force it out of you...da."

Ivan did not really mean it, but he had to rile up Matthew's emotions if he was going to say it properly and confidently.

Canada gulped. "Ok...NO?"

He sounded so unsure of himself; in addition, his anxiety showed through his voice. He was a bit afraid of what Russia had planned for him.

"Was that a question, Comrade?"

Ivan was testing out Matthew's resolve, which was slowly falling at a steady rate. Ivan's eye's gleamed and his purple aura began to rise.

"It was not," Canada replied swiftly. Matthew was finding this to be harder than he had thought. Sure, Matthew was a nice guy, but at times he wished to be selfish for once and to deny others easily. He could admit that hecouldn't say no...which sadly was his character flaw. He was a pushover that his family and friends came to for favours and jobs for him to complete. The feelings of being pushed aside and used angered him, and it flowed through his body. He started to tremble and shake a bit, feeling the anger coursing through his body.

"Is he scared now?...He reminds me of Latvia like how he shakes like a leaf...da?" Russia's mind was working overtime, and he soon thought of an idea. "Canada must care for others' safety...so if I attempt to hurt them...he will be able to say no..." Russia did his infamous creepy smile and yelled, "Latvia!"

Canada's concentration dissolved as soon as he saw Latvia appear before Russia. The smaller nation was very scared and was shaking more than usual. Russia brought out his pipe and aimed it at he youngest Baltic's head.

"Comrade...if you don't say no to me and say it properly...Little Latvia will get beating...da?"

Russia spoke directly to Matthew's face as a challenge to him. Matthew was angered that Russia had to include Latvia, who was not involved in the first place. His anger returned at full throttle.

"Stop...don't do this...Latvia is not involved in this!" Matthew shouted at a level he had not known he could.

He was also slightly surprised at his own voice. Russia smiled and noticed that Matthew's voice level had increased,f but it was not good enough.

Latvia was frozen in fear, and he was unable to move to escape from Russia's ice cold stare and his large metal pipe. He made a silent prayer that 'that person or whoever he was' would do as Russia ordered.

Russia was preparing the final strike and Latvia saw his life flash before his eyes. The pipe swooshed so fast it took a microsecond for the pipe to stop within a few centimetres of Latvia's head. Russia heard Matthew speak.

"NOOOOOO!"

Canada released all his frustration and anger on the Russian and yelled like never before, to the point that his voice reverberated and echoed through Russia's large mansion.

Latvia fainted and Russia did giggled. "Wow...that was loud, Comrade."

He tucked his pipe into his coat pocket and gave Canada another bear-hug.

Canada pushed him away with a strength he had not known existed. Russia stumbled but regained his footing quickly, and soon had a confused look on his face.

Matthew was still angry and adrenaline was running in his veins. He yelled at him, "WHY Russia...Why did you do that!"

Ivan was taken aback at Canada's reaction. He should be pleased that he had managed to get him to say no.

Russia was soon irritated and replied back, "I had to get you to yell...so I thought by pretending to hurt others, you will act on your emotions and be able to speak...da"

Canada was regaining his breath as he heard Ivan's explanation. He was still upset.

"Russia, even if your intention was not to really hurt Latvia...you could have done something else."

Canada was beginning to cool down and was soon back to himself.

"What would have happened...if I was unable to say it...Latvia would have been killed!" Matthew said the last bit in exasperation.

Russia countered his remark. "Da...but it was effective...it is same like last lesson...you were able to glare only because I force you too..."

Canada agreed that Ivan did have a point, but he did not approve of his methods, regardless of the fact that they had worked. He sighed again.

"Please, just think twice before doing something like this...I do not want anyone else to get hurt because of my incompetence."

Canada was about to leave, but a voice stopped him in his tracks. "Comrade...I did not intend to hurt Latvia...but I will stop...Do not feel bad about yourself...Da."

Canada heard Ivan's sincerity and felt a hand on his left shoulder. Ivan did a small smile and Canada returned the gesture.

"You promise?" Matthew asked naively, hoping that Ivan would stick true to his words.

Russia looked at him and thought about it for a second, and then cutely said, "Da."

Canada rejoiced at Russia's pledge of non-violence, but he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up too high: Russia could relapse back to his own violent tendencies. Still, this was a good step if he wanted to be able to make friends.

After they had made up, Russia picked up his Baltic slave as easily as if he were a bag of feathers. Canada saw this and was concerned for him.

Ivan giggled at Canada's concern. "Do not worry...he won't tell if he want his life spared...da?"

Canada somehow believed his words and looked at him sternly, saying, "Don't hurt him."

Ivan understood Matthew's thoughts and reassured him, "Do not worry, I won't hit him...I'll scare him to death...that is better, da?"

Canada sighed, and thought, "At least he is not hurting people...which is progress, and it could help with his homework."

Canada smiled and he walked towards the door. Russia looked at his back. He was relieved that Matthew was not so upset that he would have to cancel these lessons. He was afraid of losing his company. Ivan would try to be more careful of his actions in the future. He did want to regret hurting Matthew.

"Oh...I almost forgot...please bring me something to drink and food for me," the Canadian reminded him, which Ivan did not like.

Russia actually had no idea of what to bring, and he was thinking of ways to make Matthew forget this arrangement. Ivan was about to speak, but Matthew interrupted him.

"Next time, no excuses...I won't take no for an answer," Canada said confidently with a hint of playfulness.

Canada was mocking him. Ivan pouted and did not say a word. Canada locked the door gracefully and without a goodbye.

Ivan was officially screwed.


	5. Canada teaches Russia Lesson three

"Lithuania...Come here now!" Russia barked across the hallway, filling the room with a thick Russian accent.

Russia was pacing around the living room, thinking about what to bring Matthew. He had a troubled look on his face but was somewhat smiling through it withpracticed ease. He had had no idea at the start that Canada was serious about it. Russia was happy that he was being more assertive.

"I think I taught him too well...better slow down...da," the Russian thought sadly.

He felt a tiny bit of dread for what punishment the Canadian had in store for him if he failed to deliver his promise. What was the worst he could do...glare at him? He giggled at the idea.

An idea formed in Ivan's head and he decided to ask Lithuania for help. Out of all the Baltics, Toris would be the most useful for two reasons, one being that Latvia was still unconscious from his near-death experience yesterday and that Estonia was too hesitant to come to Russia's aid, even though he was still scared of him. He was more helpful with the technological aspects around the house (i.e, computers, software) anyway.

Russia did like Lithuania the most, since he considered him the most domestic out of his brothers. He did all the housework and the cooking. Ivan had a huge grin on his face. If his plan didn't work, Toris would never live to see the next day.

"Yes...Mr. Russia," the brunette said with a hint of fear in his voice.

He stood in front of Ivan as best he could, shaking slightly. Nevertheless, his back was straight as he looked at Russia, dreading his first order of the day.

Russia still had his grin on his face as he spoke cutely, "Da...Lithuania, I want you to make something special for my guest...bring out the finest of Russian cuisine." The young man was puzzled at Russia's request. Lithuania assumed he was suppose to do his and Latvia's chores, seeing how his youngest brother is unavailable.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking...who is your special guest?" Lithuania asked in curiosity.

It would help him in his job, too, depending on if this person liked Russian food.

"Nyet...it does not make a difference..do as you are told." Ivan dismissed the Lithuanian's interest flatly, leaving no room for the brunette to pry.

Russia's purple aura ebbed around him and a few 'kolkolkol's slipped through his lips.

"Da...get it ready by 6 or I have to hurt one of you...I think Latvia is the easiest, seeing as he can't move...Da?" Ivan said so innocently sweet that Toris was more creeped out by it.

"Yes...Mr. Russia," the brunette said and soon rushed to the kitchen to prepare the food.

Toris had no idea what to make, but Ivan's face motivated him to prepare it soon. Ivan's grin grew wider and his heart felt relieved. Now he didn't have to worry about what to bring Matthew. He grabbed a bottle of vodka from his coat pocket and drank half of it. He let out a contented sigh and hid the rest from view.

Russia soon remembered the homework that Matthew had assigned to him. He had managed to complete it, but with much difficulty, for obvious reasons: 1)everyone was afraid of Russia, so it was hard to get them to talk to him without them running away or attacking him; 2) when he managed to speak to someone, the person would be very hostile and it was difficult to make small talk with; and 3) getting their signatures without the person being suspicious or curious as to why he was asking for them was impossible.

Russia had a headache and the vodka wasn't helping. He was surprised that he had done the homework in the first place. Sure, it was half-assed by his standards, but it was complete. The most difficult part had been choosing who to talk to and what to talk about. The easiest had been the signatures, which he had either faked or threatened people to receive them.

"I hope this is good enough for Canada...da," he thought while he was searching for the notebook in his home.

It was 5:10 pm. Russia was waiting patiently, sitting in his love seat. To kill some time, he doodled in his notebook.

He liked to draw during his spare time (he was no artist but he could sketch decently), and he enjoyed drawing funny comics about the nations and ridiculing them. He first sketched America, who Ivan found was the easiest to draw. It was a fat chibi version of him eating hamburgers. He giggled and made him run on a treadmill, which the chibi was unable to use without falling on his face. He then sketched England with mega eyebrows that almost covered his forehead, anddrew him bickering with his imaginary friends. He then drew France with a silly hat, dancing in a breeze of petals...he was half naked, too, and was shouting out 'spreading the love'. The Axis were the most fun to draw, seeing how they were enemies. Italy was morphed into a white flag, looking terrified by Germany, who was a giant cube with a glare. Japan had a chibi body, but his head was replaced with a Pikachu head that had the Asian's facial features. He smiled and was soon lost to his childish whim and continued drawing. Russia took a break and checked the clock. It was now 5:30 pm.

"The food should be done by now," Russia thought as he walked towards the kitchen.

He saw Toris adding the final touches to the dish. Ivan could smell the warm goodness seeping into his nose. Russia saw what the Lithuanian had made. It was blini with a side of caviar and sour cream. The blini was an imitation of a pancake or crepes, but it could be filled with many things like jam, cheese or chocolate syrup. The blini that Toris made had cheese it in.

"I'm almost done, sir..." Toris said as he finished adding the sour cream to the blinis.

He then carefully placed the food in a container and handed it to his boss. Russia had a smile on his face from the joy of picturing Canada eating it. The smile was misunderstood as anger by the Lithuanian, and the terrified Toris thought he had done something wrong.

"Is there something wrong...sir?" Toris asked, worried that he might have forgotten something.

Ivan had a confused look on his face; the brunette had done a wonderful job on the blini and caviar.

"No...should there be a problem?" Ivan replied, wondering if he was forgetting something.

He was consumed with happiness that he had managed to get something for his friend...wait...was Canada his friend?

"Never mind...I hope your guest enjoys them!" Lithuania wished him good luck.

He might be scared of Russia, but he did mean well for him. He was a nice guy...after the fall of the USSR, he had a soft spot for the big guy. Toris would always be around for him, even if it wasn't in his best interest. He couldn't abandon Ivan or his siblings.

Toris sighed when he saw the condition of the kitchen. It was a giant mess of dirty dishes and batter splattered everywhere.

"Well...better clean this up, or else I'll get a beating," he said, and resumed cleaning.

Ivan decided to travel to Canada's house by foot. It was not far from his house and he could make it to Canada's house within 20 minutes. Ivan enjoyed the weather outside: it was chilly like an autumn day, for which he was perfectly dressed. He wanted to think about his relationship with the Canadian. He was walking ahead, carrying the blini with care to make sure they weren't ruined.

"What I am too Canada?...A friend or just a student?" Ivan worried; his mind began to race and brought out more insecure thoughts. His face looked troubled, yet he was smiling throughout the journey.

"I can't be his friend...I only cause pain to others...no one likes me," he chastised himself and drowned in self-pity.

"I must find out if I'm Canada's friend or not...da." Russia cheered himself up and without realizing it, he made it to Matthew's house.

He knocked on the door and Canada opened the door with a smile. "Hello Russia."

Russia responded with the same greeting and let himself inside. Canada's living room still had the classroom layout, and Canada was looking nicer in a pressed dark grey suit with a red dress shirt underneath. He also wore a black tie and black dress shoes. Ivan checked out Matthew's appearance, who was blushing at the Russian's scrutiny.

"Do you like it? I wanted to dress up...for the role, I mean," he nervously explained, but his blush stayed on his delicate face. Russia was amazed at how beautiful the arctic nation was.

After a few minutes of Ivan looking and Canada fidgeting nervously, Ivan answered, "Da, Canada looks nice."

Canada smiled, "Thank you." He let out a tiny sigh of relief.

He then asked, "Ivan, I hope you didn't forget your promise."

"Da," Ivan said as he gave his promised food to the Canadian. He placed it in the kitchen and returned to the living room. Russia was surprised that he didn't look at his blinis.

Canada saw his face and explained, "I will eat it, eh. I have to do this lesson first, though."

Russia muttered, "Da, I'm ready for the lesson." He felt silly that he had forgotten about his lesson. He went to his desk and brought out his notebook and pencil.

Canada stood in front of the Russian and asked for his homework. Russia did as he was told. The Canadian read through it. He was happy at first, but soon became irritated as he finished reading the last paragraph.

"Ivan, did you even do your homework properly?" Canada's question stabbed at Russia's heart. He was hurt that his Comrade would question his work.

"Da," he smiled, not letting his hurt show on his face.

Canada shook his head in disagreement. "You didn't follow any of the guidelines I mentioned during the last lesson."

He carefully placed the notebook on Ivan's desk and pointed out his mistakes in each paragraph.

"Firstly, you were supposed to find five people, which you have done. I asked you to talk to them, which you also did, but in each conversation, you started off with, 'Be one with Mother Russia?' and afterwords, you threatened them with your pipe!" Canada explained, and illustrated his point by showing Ivan his errors.

He sighed and said, "Da, that is how I get people to talk. I don't know much about small talk."

Canada face-palmed. "Of course you don't know. That is why I wanted you to practice your greetings. You should have said, 'Hello, how are you?' It is a great way to ask how they are doing and it shows that you care."

The Canadian further explained, "If you remember number 8, 'Make small talk. Keep the conversation light and cheery.' Telling people to become one with you isn't a light and/or cheery subject."

Ivan just stared at Matthew. He was impressed that he was knowledgeable about the subject, but he was insulted about getting criticized for his actions. He had a small pout on his face, which added to the child-like look on his face, making him look vulnerable. Canada sighed; he was feeling terrible for giving Ivan negative feedback.

Ivan didn't let it show on his face, but Canada did have a valid point.

"Da, but the Allies were making it difficult. I had no choice but to insult them, with the exception of China! I spoke to Sealand, too. He was fun to threaten to invade: He reminded me of Latvia." Ivan continued to speak, ignoring the look of shock on the Canadian's face. "Especially America. He was the most fun to provoke!"

Canada said back sharply, "Of course my brother would retaliate! You were hostile first!"

Canada closed his mouth and was afraid of saying one more word that would annoy Russia. Canada also understood why the Allies would object to his crazy demands and soon felt pity for the micronation.

"I hope he is okay, he is such a sweet boy." The Canuck worried to himself for a few seconds. He brought himself back to reality to deal with his student.

"What guidelines?" Russia asked, clueless as to what Matthew was talking about. Canada grabbed his ruler from his desk and smacked it on the chalkboard. Ivan saw what was written on it: the list from the last lesson.

"Da, those rules," Ivan replied, feigning ignorance. Canada looked displeased.

"I think I am going to have to punish you, Ivan, for doing your homework poorly." He bent over his desk, his bum waving in the air, which Ivan peeped at. He smiled, enjoying the Canadian's cute tush. Seconds later, Matthew brought out a 'dunce cap.'

Canada smiled evilly. "Mr. Braginski, you have to wear this for the entire lesson, and think about what you did wrong for 15 minutes."

Canada peered at the clock. It was 7:00 pm. His throat was scratchy, so he decided to take a small break. He went into the kitchen to grab a something to drink. Soon, he rummaged through Ivan's bag to find the blini, but no drink.

Ivan was muttering in Russian about how homework was stupid, and was blaming America for his stupidity. He pouted cutely. He held his head in his hands with his arms on the table, elbows bent. He kept looking at the board.

"Damn list..." the Russian cursed, and huffed afterwords.

Matthew returned. He was mad. Looking at Ivan, he said, "Russia, where is my drink?"

Russia looked at him as if he were crazy, but then the realization dawned on him. He remembered that Lithuania forgot to pack something to drink.

"Damn..." the Russian cursed again, but then tried to excuse himself. "Da, Lithuania forgot to pack the drink." Canada was peeved.

"Russia, do you remember that I will not take 'no' for an answer?" Canada said as he brought his ruler out, tapping it on his left palm.

Russia giggled nervously. "Da, I will bring it next time?"

"There won't be a next time, and I'm extremely parched." Canada grinned while Ivan tried his best to look unfazed. The Canadian ordered Russia to bring out his right hand, palm down. Russia was a bit curious as to what he would do next, until he felt the pain.

Canada had just smacked his hand with a ruler! Ivan was startled, wanting to bring his hand closer to himself, but Matthew just shook his head.

"Not until I'm finished with you." The blond got ready to smack his hand again.

He said, "Oh, and remove your glove too. I want you to feel it."

Russia grudgingly did as he was told, and bravely placed his hand out to Canada. He had experienced worse torture than this; he could handle a few smacks.

After 15 smacks on both hands, Canada felt satisfied. Ivan winced from the pain. His hands were turning red, but did not bruise or bleed. Canada did feel bad for a moment for hurting him, and decided to care for the other's hands. Ivan was about to put on his gloves again, until a set of hands held them in place.

Canada took a moment to grab his hands. He touched them softly, feeling the calluses under the fingertips. He then traced along the lines and burn marks on the backs of his hands, which made Ivan feel uncomfortable.

Canada noticed the insecurity, and complimented his hands. "I see nothing wrong with them, they are filled with character. Your hands tell a story," he said as he compared his hands to Ivan's. Ivan's were bigger and more muscled than Canada's, which were small and thin. He held his hand firmly with Ivan's, reassuring him that he was not ugly. He liked his rough, scarred skin against his own soft pale ones.

After a few more minutes of playing with Russia's hands, Canada released them and allowed Ivan to put on his gloves. Canada was relaxed again, and smiled. "I'm sorry about that. Don't be offended, I tried not to hurt them too much," he apologized and resumed teaching his lesson.

Russia just smiled back sweetly. "Da, do not worry, I understand. My hands feel better, da."

He stared at the board, but his mind was screaming, 'When I return home, someone will get hurt real bad, da.' His aura began to erupt from his body and a few 'kolkolkol's slipped from his lips.

Canada observed that Russia's appearance was one factor that prevented him from making new friends. He turned around to notice that Ivan was looking more scary than usual. The purple aura and evil smile weren't helping, either.

"Russia, the lesson I will be teaching you is about your appearance." Canada saw that Ivan had a lost look on his face, so he continued his explanation.

"I mean, you look scary all the time. Try to look friendly so people will approach you." Canada place his ruler on his table and asked Russia to stand up.

He did as the Canadian asked, who said, "First, I want you to smile at me."

Ivan thought, 'Da, I smile all the time.'

Russia's face did a creepy smile that would scare smaller nations in terror. Canada flinched at the smile and shook his head in disapproval. "Russia, when I say smile, I mean a real, genuine smile, not a creepy/scary/'I will kill you' smile.

"I'll show you an example...see?" He smiled. His smile showed off his pearly whites, which could cause the fangirls to squeal to death. Ivan liked that smile onMatthew; he looked so cute. Russia smiled back. It was a small thing, but a real one, nonetheless.

Matthew was happy, but he wanted to see a full-blown smile, so he asked Ivan a question: "Russia, what are some things that make you happy?"

Ivan stopped smiling and his face went blank. He was dwelling on Matthew's question. His mind was forming images: his vodka, his sisters, the Baltics,sunflowers...Canada. At that particular thought, a large smile formed on his beautiful face.

Canada exclaimed, "Like that! See how good-looking you are!" Canada's cheeks were painted red, and he closed his mouth shut, afraid of saying anything more. He blamed that smile for that slip-up.

Russia's smile stayed put while he looked at Canada's eyes. He heard the Canadian's opinion about him and his own cheeks were tinted pink.

"Da, you look good too," Russia complimented him.

Canada's blush deepened and he shyly looked away from his face.

After a few awkward moments, Ivan's voice interrupted the silence. "Do I get any homework this time?" Russia was hoping he wouldn't get any.

Canada replied, "Nope, I think we have made some progress. Just remember to think about that particular thought when you see someone and you'll charm them away, eh?"

"Da..." Ivan said as he went to go get his things. He was about to leave when he remembered what he wanted to ask.

"Comrade..." Ivan faced Matthew with a worried and unsure look on his face.

"What are we to each other?" Canada at first did not answer.

He couldn't say anything because he himself did not know the answer to that question. Matthew still thought they were friends, but he was not sure of Ivan's feelings for him, so he asked a question of his own. "Russia, do you think we are friends?"

"Nyet," Russia interrupted Matthew's question, "I asked first. Answer the question."

Russia began to walk towards the Canadian, whom was unable to move due to the fear that was holding onto him. Russia repeated himself, but this time, he held Canada's right arm, making him unable to escape. Matthew tried to get the situation under control. He did not want to experience an upset Russia if he happened to give the wrong answer.

"Russia, I, um," Canada stuttered.

He had the answer, but was afraid of rejection. Russia held his grip a bit tighter, but not enough for his arm to bruise.

"Comrade, answer the question. I must know, da." The last part of what Russia said had an undertone of insecurity, Matthew realized.

He calmed himself down, and gave his answer: "Yes, we are friends."

The second Ivan heard those words, his large arms wrapped around the Canadian, and surprisingly, Canada hugged him back.

"Thank you, Canada." Both of them had huge smiles on their faces and were happy about the large shift in their relationship.

Ivan released him from the hug, and with new-found joy, he exited the Canadian's house and shut the door. Canada was the happiest person in the whole world.

Kumajoki appeared and asked for food, but not before noticing his master's change in moods.

"Why so happy?" his bear asked.

"No particular reason..." He didn't feel it necessary to tell his bear something intimate between friends.

"Are you hungry, Kumatoki?" Canada walked into the kitchen to find some fresh salmon. Matthew saw the blini. He wanted to eat it, but it was very late at night and he was exhausted. Deciding to eat it later, he placed it into the fridge.

"Who are you?" the bear asked.

"I'm Canada, Russia's friend," he answered gleefully. He was not upset that his bear had forgotten his name...again.


	6. Russia teaches Canada Lesson three

"Morning Kumajoti," Matthew greeted his polar bear, who was still drowsy.

The alarm had woken the Canadian up and he had decided to tackle the day. His face was full of smiles as he peeked through the window. The polar bear did a small yawn and stirred from his master's bed.

He said, "Good morning. Who are you?"

Canada replied again, "I'm Canada, your owner."

Great way to start the day: being forgotten. His mood sank a bit. He was still determined to get some work done and some papers signed today in order to see Russia again. He smiled to himself, and that thought alone brightened his mood.

"Come now, I'll make some breakfast, eh?" the owner said and the bear followed, happy that he would get some food to eat.

After twenty minutes in the kitchen, Canada came out with some pancakes for himself and Kumajirou. He also included some meat for the bear to eat as a side. They both enjoyed having breakfast for two reasons: one, for the delicious pancakes that he enjoyed with real Canadian maple syrup, and two, for the time they spent together. Even though Canada's bear was forgetful, he still didn't mind his owner's presence. They both ate in comfortable silence, the polar bear gnawing his food, and Canada sipping his tea while reading the newspaper.

When Canada was done eating , he picked up his dirty dishes and placed them in the sink. He washed himself up and went to his office to do some paperwork. He opened the door to find a huge tower of files ready to be read and signed.

Canada huffed at the workload, "Maple...this will take me all day, better get started."

His mood was shot and he became grumpy. He sighed as he began his paperwork.

He was halfway done with his pile, and he would have been done if it wasn't for a certain bear begging for him to play catch. He let out another sigh...he was scheduled to have a break for twenty minutes if he could finish the second half.

"Maple. Now I see why Ivan did his homework so poorly, it sucks." His thought disrupted his production of work, and he started to think about Russia.

He was surprised that Russia wanted to be friends with him, Canada, out of all people. He felt great that a nation liked him, noticed him and acknowledged him as an independent nation...unlike some other countries he knew.

His mind went back to what had happened that made him depressed during Russia's second lesson.

Flashback/kcabhsalF

Canada wanted to talk to England about some policy that he wanted to establish with his former caretaker. He knew it would better establish his distant relationship with the Englishman, and he had a secret crush on Arthur. But he knew that his feelings would never be received, seeing as how he had his sights on his twin. Canada was running a bit late because of his bear, who was being fussy and didn't feel like going with him for some odd reason. After some pleading from the Canadian, the bear simply said "no." Matthew huffed goodbye to his bear.

"I hope Arthur is still in the meeting room," Matthew wished, running as fast as his feet could take him.

He finally reached the room and took a few breaths to compose himself. Matthew was about to knock on the door when he saw that it was ajar. He was about to let himself in, until he heard two familiar voices in a discussion.

"So, why is Alfred your favourite? Might I ask?...I'm curious to why you wouldn't like my petite Mathieu, he is so adorable, non?"

"Because, frog...he may be an idiot, and I wonder how he manages to bring a smile to my face, but at least he is a successful nation. Better yet, he is a superpower compared to the rest of the countries."

"What are you saying? Are saying Mathieu is not good enough for you?"

"Well, to be honest...I found him a nuisance, always asking for my assistance, and he couldn't defend himself without my aid."

"Arthur! Don't you dare speak about my son like that! Your son isn't the brightest of the light bulbs, but I at least treat him fairly. I've seen how you undermine him. If I had more power back then, I would have never let youtake them both."

Canada gasped at the scene before him. His Papa and father were fighting, not about each other, but about Alfred and him. Tears started to water in his blue-purple eyes. He had just absorbed the newest revelation about his father and how he had never acknowledged him.

He tried to keep his sobbing to a minimum, so he controlled his raging emotions; he had to know. So, he leaned closer to hear better.

"You wanker! Don't insult Alfred, you and I both know the lad is useless, especially after I gave him his independence as a joke to get him to quit begging for it. He isn't recognized as a nation compared to the rest of the other countries."

"Arthur, do you mean to say that you will never acknowledge him as an independent nation? Are you that cold-hearted?"

"To be honest, I always hated the little wanker. I'm surprised I never annihilated him when I had power back then, I could have save up my resources for something better."

It was that moment that Canada just decide to run away from the room, away from his father, and away from Arthur.

"Why I am such a bother?"

He continue his pace towards his house; he didn't stop to take a breath, his mind kept replaying the whole heart-wrenching scene again and again.

Matthew finally reached his house. He ignored his bear and ran straight to his bedroom. At first, he wanted to cry his heart out and never show his face again, but after hearing those hateful words about him, he became angry.

"That hoser! After all I've done for him. I've done everything to please him, all the sacrifices I did just for him to accept me and for all the crap he made me do, he won't recognize my independence?"

Canada screamed in anger. He wanted to break something, anything, to release his frustration. He grabbed his hockey stick and went to the nearest hockey rink instead.

After three hours of relentless hockey puck shots and almost destroying his favourite stick, he was feeling much better. He was still sad about the truth. Nevertheless, he was able to be productive and decided to finish hispaperwork to take his mind off of England's words.

Back to the present

That flashback alone made his mood sour. He continued to finish his work, even when his pet bear wanted to play again, giving him the cold shoulder. An hour and a half later, Canada was finally done.

He sighed in contentment. "Finally, I'm done. That was a lot of work."

He checked the clock. It read 12:00pm.

His stomach growled and assumed that his bear was hungry too.

"I hope Kumaliki will forgive me for the cold attitude." Canada went downstairs to prepare lunch, until the phone rang.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Canada decided to answer. Picking up the receiver, he said, "Hello..."

"Alfred! You Bloody wanker! I will get you back for the prank you played on my morning tea!"

"England, this is not Alfred. You got the wrong guy."

"Nope, I'm positive this is Alfred's number. He gave me this number to call."

"No, this is Canada...Matthew Williams."

"Nope, doesn't ring a bell. Sir, I only wish to discuss with Alfred. Yes, you seem like a nice guy...what is your name?"

"I got to go..." Canada hung up the phone.

He wanted to die right then and there. He was in a frozen state, unable to move due to the Arthur's words stabbing through his heart, until his bear nudged his leg. "Hungry."

"Oh Kuma, sorry about that, you must be starved." The polar growled and went to his dish, waiting for some more food.

Canada went into the fridge and grabbed some salmon for the bear. He had lost his appetite.

Kumajirou did not notice his master's mood when he decided to leave the house to grab some fresh air. The bear was too happy munching on his food.

He walked nowhere, wanting to forget the painful memories which were hard to bear. He was lost in his sorrow until he heard a familiar voice. He turned his head to face it, knowing full well he would not like it.

"America! You **! I'll kill you for this!"

It was Cuba, and he was extra angry today.

"America, why do you have to be an ass to the rest of the world today? Don't you realize I'm a victim to your failed plans and stupid ideas?" That thought crossed his mind, and Matthew began to beg for his life before the Cuban.

"Wait! Cuba, I'm not America, I'm Canada!" he shouted as best he could.

He was slightly scared and still upset about England.

Cuba did not like that answer, and shouted, "I know you are America. Do not try to trick me!"

He smacked his head relentlessly, making the poor nation almost bleed.

Canada tried to his best to defend himself. He noticed that if he kept denying his identity, Cuba would only strike harder. So he stayed mum and blocked as many of the hits as he could. It wasn't long until he was on the ground unconscious. Cuba looked happy that he had gotten his revenge and walked away.

Canada recovered after ten minutes. This made him more depressed and he decide to go home and get some first aid for his head. As the Canadian walked home, he stumbled often, but managed to get to his home safely.

Kumajirou was asleep on the couch and was awakened when he heard the door slammed. He saw his master walking hastily to the bathroom, to find some first aid.

After fifteen minutes and a few aspirin later, Canada was feeling better, at least physically. His emotional scars had a lot of healing to do on their own. He decided to clean up his house to occupy his mind. Two hours of cleaning later, he decide to play with his bear for a while.

After a bit, Kuma decided to take another nap, so Canada had nothing to do. He decided to think about Cuba.

"I don't understand how he keeps mixing me up with America. Sure, we may look alike, but we act completely different," Canada muttered as he sat on his couch, watching some infomercials on T.V.

This happened every single day, to the point that Canada would get depressed from the attacks from the Cuban. He was one of his very few close friends. Once he remembered his real identity, and got him a tub of ice cream later as an apology, he would be forgiven and they would go out somewhere, only for the Canadian to be forgotten again. Repeat the cycle.

Knock knock knock.

'I bet its Cuba with some ice-cream, again,' Matthew thought as he went for the door, only to find an angry Cuban.

"America! I found you! You won't get away from me!" Canada quickly dodge his strike, trying to convince the Cuban that he was Canada, but it fell on deaf ears.

"For the last time, Cuba, I'm Canada!"

Cuba got even angrier and went to punch Matthew in the face, who quickly dodged and screamed in frustration, adding fuel to his words.

"No!...For the last time, I'm CANADA!" Canada was so angry at this treatment, that he yelled so loudly, he was shocked at his own voice.

Cuba hesitated on his final blow, and for once he was speechless.

"Matthew, is that really you?" he asked dumbly, and he, also, was very shocked at hearing Canada's voice so loud.

"Eh, it is really me. You've got to believe me."

Cuba stood still. He was still paralyzed by this new development. After some seconds had passed, during which Canada was still on edge (and praying that it had finally worked), Cuba smiled and then apologized, "Sorry, Friend, I did not recognize you. You forgive me, right?"

Canada forgave him this time. Cuba hugged the boy: he would have hugged him back, but somehow Matthew felt that Cuba didn't deserved his hugs, especially after attacking him twice in one day. Even Matthew had to draw the line at some point.

"Wow, I guess these lessons are working after all..." the Canadian thought, as he released himself from Cuba's hug.

The Cuban was a bit disappointed at the loss of contact, but nevertheless had an apologetic look on his face. "Canada...again, I'm sorry about this. Take this ice-cream as gift."

Matthew politely accepted the frozen treat. Cuba then excused himself to finish some errands. Canada waved goodbye and let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally, I managed to stop Cuba. I feel like celebrating..." he thought to himself.

Kumajirou appeared and asked for the ice-cream, and Canada gave him all of it. He was in a good mood today.

He decided to clean himself up and get ready to meet Russia for his third lesson. He would usually get nervous around the Russian, but he was feeling much more open to him lately. Canada had discovered that he could be himself around him.

A few minutes later, Canada was dressed in a plain white t-shirt, a pair of dark jeans and some tennis shoes. He wanted to dress comfortably in case he had to do something insane. Canada giggled to himself. He said goodbye to his bear and closed the door on his way to Russia's house, picking up some vodka on the way to give to Russia.

"Lithuania, where are you? You have to be punished for your slip-up," Russia sang out as he searched for his Baltic slave. When he promise to do something, he always stayed true to his word.

Lithuania was currently hiding under the bed in his room, hoping that Russia would not find him. He hadn't meant to forget the drink. "Like Poland would have said, 'I'm, like, so totally screwed.'" Toris had to shake histhoughts away from the Polish man. Out of all the desperate times he was in, he had to think about Poland, out of all people.

Toris heard the door open, and large footsteps that seemed to be drawing closer. Lithuania's heart was beating so fast, that the boy would've fainted right there and then, if wasn't for the fear itself keeping him conscious. He tried to steady his breathing, afraid it would give him away.

The footsteps stopped, and he heard a voice say, "Guess he is not here."

Toris sighed in relief when he heard the door close. As he got himself out of the bed, he encountered Russia. Russia grabbed his shoulders.

"I got you!" the Russian screamed, and Toris screamed in fear at getting caught so easily.

"Lithuania, you disappointed me, so you have to bear the consequences, da?" Ivan threatened with a giggle that made Toris almost weep.

"Mr. Russia, I'm sorry. I'll get you another drink, I promise. Don't hurt me!"

"Nyet. I cannot allow that," Russia said with seriousness, and brought out his pipe.

He raised it high above Toris's head. Toris was immobilized to the spot, pleading with his master to reconsider.

Just as Ivan was about to strike, he stopped halfway. Some feelings were overwhelming his heart, and particularly the thoughts of Canada and his friendship lessons were forming in his mind. Hesitation was painted on his face, and he was conflicted about what to do.

"I want to kill him, but something is holding me back. I do not understand." Ivan's mind was whirling with mixed emotions.

He enjoyed other people's pain, but now...he was not so sure. He still wanted to hurt others, but not so much. He was so confused that his body moved on its own. He lowered his weapon. Toris eyes were shut, waiting for the impact, but it never happened. The Lithuanian opened his eyes to see what had unfolded.

Russia dropped his precious weapon. Toris was surprised by the sudden event.

"Thank you, god!" Toris silently prayed.

He then saw the look on Russia's face. It was a mix of both confusion and pain...and a bit of remorse? Lithuania couldn't decipher that last emotion. He went to ask if Russia was okay.

"Sir, are you okay?" He moved closer to him, and tried to place his hand on the Russian's shoulder.

Ivan slapped his hand away like it was cursed, and brought his hand closer to his heart like it was burned, and clenched it into a fist.

After a few seconds of hearing no answer, Lithuania asked again, "Mr. Russia, are you okay?" He was now worried.

Russia looked straight into his green eyes.

"Da. I decide not to kill you, but I'll still punish you." The way Russia said it with such uneasiness made Lithuania more confused.

"You will get no food till tomorrow. Now leave," Russia ordered, with no room for argument. Toris quickly left, still amazed at the miracle he had witnessed.

"I do not understand..." Russia said with uncertainty as he picked up his pipe.

He went to find something to break. He was still able to do that, and a poor vase was shattered into pieces.

He laughed at himself, "Da...Little Canada's lesson's are getting to Mother Russia, da?"

He put on a soft smile as he hid his pipe away. Now, he was thinking that he was getting to soft due to the Canadian's influence.

He decided to get himself ready for Canada's visit. He was about to arrive soon, and Russia still had to get the rest of the Baltic nations to leave and hide in the basement again. Ukraine was away on some business trip andhad decided to take Belarus too (Russia was thankful for Katyusha's involvement, because he was running out of plans to distract her).

A few minutes later, Russia had finally gotten rid of the Baltics, and discovered that Latvia was feeling much better, so he made the young boy resume his duties. He went back to the first floor to find someone knocking on his door.

"Come inside...it is open." Canada opened the door and said hello. Russia greeted him in return.

Canada was in a good mood after his encounter with Cuba, and he wanted to tell Russia about it, but he soon realized that he was hungry. He hadn't eaten at all because of certain issues, and soon his mood turned sour at the though. Ivan noticed the change, and wanted to ask what had happened earlier. As Ivan was about to ask, a sound interrupted his question.

Russia heard Canada's stomach growl.

"Da...looks like someone is hungry." Ivan giggled as Canada blushed in embarrassment.

"Yeah. I didn't eat all today," he said as he scratched the back of his head.

Russia smiled. "Da, he is cute when embarrassed."

His heart skipped a beat, which made Russia uneasy. He pushed the emotion aside and assumed a straight face.

"Da, you eat first, then do the lesson."

Canada was embarrassed for imposing himself on the Russian. He tried to assure Russia to start the lesson, and chastised himself for not being better prepared when meeting someone. Russia had a stubborn look on his face, but masked it with a childish giggle.

"Nyet. I'm teacher, you do as I say because I told you, da?"

Canada knew he had lost the battle and muttered, "Okay."

Russia went to the fridge to find some left over blini from the morning, and decided to reheat it. Canada was reminded about his at home, which he had forgotten to eat. He told himself to eat it when he got home. He then began to stare at Russia and his cooking.

Russia had a serious look on his face...It seemed that he was concentrating on his task, hoping that he wouldn't burn Canada's food. Ivan was capable of making food, but it was not his area of expertise. Since Lithuania was the chef of the house and did all the cooking, Russia didn't bother learning anything except the basics. He had his vodka, and that was good enough for him. After a few minutes and some flipping of the blini in the pan,Russia caught the boy staring at him. "What? You never saw me cook before?"

Canada stuttered, "No, um, I'm mean...you look different...in a nice way."

He blushed at his remark. Ivan felt embarrassed too, and his cheeks tinted pink.

"Da...food is ready." He stacked the blini on a plate and handed it to Canada, who timidly accepted.

He handed him a fork and a knife and led Matthew to the dinner table to eat.

Canada did not see Russia with any food, and asked, "Russia, aren't you going to eat something?"

Russia looked back at Canada, and found his concern cute.

"Da. I have food." He pulled out his vodka and took two large gulps.

Canada said, "Russia...I meant food as in food to eat...not a drink."

"Da, I know what you said. I'm not hungry." He took a gulp and hid the bottle from sight.

Canada took a bite of the Russian pancake. "This...is...amazing!" Soon the boy wolfed down his food.

Russia was surprised at how the boy could finish a stack of six blini in five minutes.

"He eats like America, Da," Russia thought, "But he eats with some elegance."

Russia commented, "How come you forgot to eat, little one?"

Canada dropped his fork, his mind playing out the scene of England bad mouthing him, his face turning sad. Canada at first didn't want to tell him what had really happened. He was still hurt from the painful experience. He stared at Russia's eyes, which seemed genuinely concerned for the arctic nation. The Canadian had to tell him something; he didn't want the Russian to worry.

"I encountered Cuba twice today. He mistook me for America," Canada said flatly, like it was daily event.

Russia was so angry, his hands tightened into fists, but he stayed calm and further asked, "Da, what happened?"

Canada told him what had happened, and mentioned how he had managed to stop Cuba from attacking him the second time. Russia had a smile on his face.

"Da, Little Canada finally grew some balls." Ivan now had to work the boy harder to make sure he wouldn't be mistreated by the other nations.

"This is what he means by it happens every single day?" Ivan thought, as he saw Canada's smile turn upside down.

Russia looked carefully at the boy's eyes, and noticed sadness in his eyes that strangely reflected his own. He wanted to dig deeper, because his gut was telling him that Canada was hiding something. But the younger male finally trusted him with something like this and was able to confess to him, so Ivan didn't want to push further. He was afraid that the harder he tried to grasp the boy, the more Canada would slip away.

"Da. Remember, we are friends, and friends tell everything to each other," Ivan said, which made Canada feel guilty for hiding the truth from him.

"Yes, Russia I know..." Canada was fed and was happy again, which made Russia's heart flutter, and he felt unsure of this emotion.

Canada was now excited, wanting to speak to Russia. "Ivan, these are delicious. I must have the recipe..."

Russia agreed and let a soft smile slip loose. Russia told Canada how they were pancakes, but made in a Russian style.

Canada beamed at the information and said, "I love pancakes! They are my favourite dish. I would love to have some made by you...if it's not too much to ask."

Canada felt stupid for the slip up, afraid that he was asking too much from Ivan.

Ivan smiled a real smile at him.

"Da, that would be nice, maybe later." He had never felt so happy. His heart began to beat erratically.

He assumed that he was going to have a heart attack, and felt more unrecognizable emotions. He tried to calm himself down, clenching his hand to his chest.

"What is this feeling? I feel like my heart will explode." Ivan face was a mix of fear and confusion, which Canada saw, jumping to his side.

"Russia, are you okay?" Canada's voice was filled with anxiety and concern.

He tried to hold onto the Russian, only to have Ivan push his hands away. Russia manage to pull out a blank face and said, "Da...do not worry...we can continue the lesson."

"Are you sure? We can always reschedule."

"Da."

Ivan winced at the new flooding sensations flowing through his veins. Canada was sure something was wrong. He was beginning to think something bad was happening in his country. They were personification of countries,so it wasn't unheard of when a country was undergoing turmoil, like wars or natural disasters, that the person representing that particular country experienced the aftermath.

"Is your country okay? There aren't any civil wars happening, right?" Canada asked again, trying so hard to reach out to him.

Ivan got himself up without Matthew's help, somehow managing to compose himself. His face was contorted in pain. Matthew decided to stop the lessons and aid Russia.

"We can do the lessons some other time. You need help. Let me help you." Russia stubbornly refused.

Canada had to do something, Russia was obviously in pain, but what was causing it? The Russian clenched his chest more, going to his knees. Russia felt the pain stop when Matthew hugged him and whispered, "Don'tworry...everything will be okay." Ivan sighed, "Da..." His heart was calmed when he heard Matthew's gentle voice, and soon Russia was back to normal.

"Russia, don't scare me like that. You had me worried there!" Canada grabbed his shoulders and Russia gazed at Matthew's face, hearing those words.

The Canadian looked serious and panic was traced on his face. Russia felt somewhat weird; he did not like making Canada feel bad. He discovered that it was his heart condition that made him weak. He grumbled something to himself in Russian that Matthew was unable to catch.

He smiled. "Da...I do not want Canada to worry."

"Russia, it's okay to call me by my human name. We are friends, non?" Canada wanted to believe that Russia was okay, but he had to finish his business here, and would ask Russia about it again later.

"Well? I mean if you don't want to, I understand..." Canada said, afraid that Russia would say no.

Russia said, "First, we make you look noticeable. You have to stand out somehow if people will acknowledge you."

Canada was nodding along in understanding. "I see, I don't stand out compared to my brother."

Russia pulled an angry pout at the poor self-esteem he showed.

"Nyet, where did your confidence go? Do I have to bring out Latvia again? I do not mind."

"Nooo!" Canada interjected quickly.

Canada asked, "Wait, is Latvia OK?"

Russia was taken aback at the sudden question, but answered it anyway. "Da, he will be if you do what I say."

Canada nodded. "OK then." He tried to look serious and did a small pose, like his brother did his 'I'm the hero' pose.

Russia look dumbfounded. "I said you need to look noticeable, not be America, da."

"Oh...OK." Canada puffed out his chest, making Russia slap his hand to his face.

"I see that we have work to do. Try to make me notice you. Do anything and I'll try to ignore you."

Canada wanted to shoot himself. He tried many ways to get Russia's attention, but he discovered that Russia was a very choosey person.

He strutted around Russia with attitude, but that fell flat to Ivan. He later did a little Irish gig that he learned from England, and assumed it had worked. Russia turned his head away.

Canada huffed, "I think you're doing this on purpose."

The more failed attempts, the more desperate he was felt. Ivan at first was serious, but now it was getting too good to stop, and he was trying his best not to laugh.

Canada thought he had done everything, but there was one other idea. It reminded him of Francis, and he didn't want to ruin his dignity. He was desperate and Russia was disinterested. He took a risk, hoping that Ivan wouldn't judge him.

Canada took a deep breath as he strutted seductively towards Ivan. Ivan raised an eyebrow and stayed silent, seeing how this would unfold. Canada stripped off his t-shirt and exposed his torso.

Ivan reacted, but his face was still unreadable. "This is getting interesting, da."

Matthew walked towards Russia till his nose was touching the Russian's.

He then went to Russia's ear and whispered, "Did I grab your attention?" He nibbled on his ear.

Russia shivered and was shocked. "Matvey is full of surprises, da?"

His heart was beating fast and his cheeks were red. Matvey leaned back and was looking directly at Ivan.

"Well...what you think? I got your attention, oui? " Canada returned back to his shy, reserved self.

The French side was now locked away in his subconscious. Russia grinned. "Matvey, you got my attention, but the wrong kind," he said as he gestured to his pants. Matthew turned red like a beet and was flabbergasted at his own actions.

He really hated his father at that moment. "Stupid lessons and French upbringing," he cursed in French.

Matthew's plan had been to walk up to him and play with his chest, but his hormones had altered the plan and he had done more than he had expected.

Russia laughed. "Da, it is okay Matvey. I do not mind." He walked over to the meek Canadian and ruffled his hair, avoiding his bouncy curl.

"I am surprised that you can act like this, da."

Canada did not answer, still embarrassed by his actions. Russia stopped playing with his hair and soon dismissed Canada from the lesson. Matthew kept his face blank and got ready to leave, seeing as it was midnight.

"Matvey, do not forget this." He tossed Canada his t-shirt, which Canada sheepishly accepted and said, "Thanks."

"Matvey..." Russia said with a serious tone, "Where is my vodka?" Canada gave him his vodka and soon was about to leave, until Russia's voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Bring bear and hockey stick for the next lesson."

"Ehhhhh?" Canada turned to face Ivan, who had a childish smile on his face. Canada did not like that smile; it reminded him of the incident with Latvia.

"You aren't going to hurt him, are you?"

"Da, you should know me by now if I would hurt him or not." Ivan laughed. "The bear is perfect for a practice test. You will see next lesson."

"Russia, I..." Canada was about to think of some excuse as to why he did not want to bring Kumaloki to his house. The look on the Russian's face stopped him from speaking.

"Nyet, you do as I say, because I'm teacher, da?" Russia said, the famous purple aura surrounding his body.

Canada left the door in a huff, hoping his bear had a family reunion in the tundra to visit the next day so he could skip his meeting with Russia (and might possibly meet his death).

"Maple."


	7. Russia teaches Canada cont.

Russia woke up in his king size bed to the sound of a knock on his door. Lithuania was on the other side. His morning duties were to wake up everyone for breakfast.

"Mr. Russia, sir, is time to wake up," the Lithuanian said as he knocked on the door again, just to be sure that Russia had heard.

Ivan grumbled and said, "Da..I be ready soon."

"Ok, sir," Toris replied and soon left.

Russia raised his head to see the alarm clock: 9:30 am. Ivan preferred to sleep in, but he had to get up, seeing how his stomach growled. Ivan yawned and shuffled out from between his sunflower patterned sheets.

He wasn't much of an early riser, but he knew that he had some work to do. He got up from his comfy bed and slipped on his yellow slippers, heading towards the bathroom.

"Da, I slept very well. That is good," Ivan said to himself.

He removed his t-shirt and went to examine himself. He was uneasy about the latest developments with his little heart problem and was checking his chest to see if it was okay. His reflection showed all of Ivan's scars and tissue damage from the build up of turmoil, since his country underwent many hardships. He felt remorse and his face was solemn.

Russia did not like the imperfections on his broad chest. It made him seem more grotesque and ugly. Nevertheless, he pushed his insecurity away for now; he had much bigger problems to attend to.

Ivan placed a hand on his heart and felt it beat normally. "Da...that's good so far...but what were those emotions I was feeling? Does it have something to do with Canada?" He was lost in his thoughts, until he decided to pull his heart out to inspect it further. Blood gushed forth and stained the porcelain sink and bathroom mirror.

"Da...Lithuania will clean that up..." he said as he continued to peer at his heart, literally.

He noticed that his heart was healthy looking and had a warmer flush to it. He compared his heart to the last time he had checked during the Soviet years. Then, his heart was deep purple and immobile, almost as if were frozen meat.

"It seems that my heart is getting warm?...No...It's developing feelings," he muttered to himself, almost as if this new information was frightening to him.

He was feeling restless about this. When the General was raising him, he always told him to close his emotions, because they would make him weak...Is this what Winter meant?

Ivan was, in fact, worried. He hated being weak and helpless, and he hadn't liked it when he was under the Tatar's rule. It was hard to get by and he spent his childhood sacred for his life. He had to overcome his humility to survive, so General Winter had to freeze his heart, making him a ruthless demon to plague terror on the rest of the world.

Ivan became angry at those painful memories and his hate-filled relationship with the General. His heart was beating erratically and more blood sputtered in reaction to the Russian's anger.

"Da...I see," he said as he gently pushed his heart back into his rib cage.

The bleeding stopped afterwards, and he was now focusing on his busy schedule. He had a few files to read and sign but he also had to make some important calls to his boss for some updates in his country. He brushed his teeth and washed his face before walking into the bedroom to get dressed.

He rummage through his dresser and picked out his usual attire.

As he was getting dressed, he thought, "Da...if I think too much I won't be productive..."

Ivan was concerned about these unfounded feelings, but he put on his blank face and went downstairs to eat. As he went downstairs, he encountered Latvia and he seemed to be carrying some folded linen. Latvia's chores mostly consisted of cleaning and assisting Estonia with menial tasks.

The Latvian boy was heading upstairs before he took notice of his master. He was shaking in fear at Ivan's presence, but he did manage to stutter out, "Russia, good morning." Ivan greeted him back and ruffled the youngest boy's hair with a smile. Latvia trembled more at the sudden contact, and he dropped the sheets by accident. Ivan was irritated by the display and coldly told him, "Da...you will be cleaning those sheets by hand now. I don't like to sleep on dirty sheets." He went downstairs, leaving a more terrified, but now confused Latvian boy.

He picked up the sheets and said, "Usually he would hit me, but somehow he told me to wash them..."

He thought he was getting lucky, but was on high alert; he did not want to be in Russia's bad graces.

Russia arrived at the table to see that Toris had prepared his breakfast, and looking at the dinner room table, he saw his two sisters sitting patiently. "Oh, they must have came back from their trip and wanted to see me," Ivan thought as he glanced at them. Ukraine looked happy to see him. Russia did not mind her company and loved to see her once in a while. He then looked at Natalya. Her face was stoic and she said nothing. He still did not want to be around Belarus; he will always love her as a sister, but Belarus misinterpreted the affection as romantic love. His mood was shot down at the thought.

Russia felt a chill, and it was coming from his little sister Natalya. She had a sweet smile on her face, but she refrained from running towards Ivan. She was a proper lady, raised to act accordingly in the given social context. She curtly greeted her Big Brother, which Ivan replied to as best he could without crying in fear. Ukraine also did the same and had a smile on her face.

Russia sat down and started eating, with Katyusha and Natalya following along. They had a quiet meal with small talk about how they been and about the weather. The rest of the meal was eaten with silence, which was uncomfortable for Ukraine. She wanted to talk to Ivan more, but when she saw her sister's hard glare on her, she refrained from speaking. Ivan saw her look and wanted to speak to her, but was afraid of how Belarus would react; he knew from previous experience that she got possessive of her Big Brother. Natalya ate normally and was indifferent to the awkward ambiance.

Toris broke the silence when he brought in some freshly squeezed orange juice. "I have some juice, if you'd like some."

He carried the pitcher in and noticed Ukraine signal for some, so he gave her some. He also saw Belarus asking for some politely. He smiled and poured her drink, which Natalya replied to with thanks. He beamed and left.

Belarus finished her food and went to mention the next world meeting occurring tomorrow. Ukraine smiled when she received the news. Russia absorbed the information and nodded. Ukraine wanted to mention something, and decided to say it.

"Vanya, I am planning on meeting Canada to discuss some immigration policy with him in a few days." Ukraine saw the look on Ivan's face. He was miffed about the idea, and her eyes began to water.

Belarus let out a petty sigh, and muttered, "Cry-baby."

Russia, during the Soviet days, would always regulate his states' international affairs and disliked Ukraine being independent (for one, because she ran away from him, and two, it was Canada that aided in her independence by providing aid for her citizens to immigrate to his homeland). Russia would get angry when his sister mentioned Canada, and would often dismiss the topic at hand.

He was about to interject and persuade Katyusha not to go until more thoughts of Canada's lessons muddled his mind. He remembered one particular part of the lesson about friendship. He had promised Canada to be nice, so he changed his mind quickly. He was still irritated, but it changed when he felt his heart skipped a beat at the thought of Matthew.

"Da, you can see Matvey..."

The sisters noticed the name change, and Belarus quickly commented. "Big Brother, who is this Matvey you speak of, and do I have to kill him?" she implored as she raised her favourite throwing knife, an imitating glare on her pretty face.

Katyusha noticed the name, and remembered that it belonged to Canada.

"Odd...Vanya only says first names when he gets close to a person...did something happen between Canada and him? Hmm," the Slavic woman thought as she saw Ivan's look of discomfort towards Belarus.

Russia felt weird about agreeing to Ukraine's request, but he remembered his promise. He felt happy when he saw his sister's face. Belarus was getting impatient at the lack of response from her Big Brother. Ukraine quickly answered for him, knowing that Ivan was still scared of her.

"I'm sure its a mistake...Tak?" Belarus lowered her knife and looked at Russia for reassurance.

Russia quickly nodded. "Da...slip of tongue."

Natalya smiled at this and resumed eating. Ivan let out a big sigh of relief that she had managed to placate her sister without her going psycho on him...it wouldn't have been too pleasant if she had. He remembered his slip up, and was now more aware that he should take precaution if he wanted to keep his relationship a secret.

"Da...I have to be careful," Ivan said as he headed towards the kitchen to ask Toris for his vodka.

Toris was cleaning up the dishes when he saw Russia entering the kitchen.

He asked, "Mr. Russia, sir, do you want something?"

Russia replied, "Nyet," and grabbed a vodka bottle from the top drawer. Toris resumed his duties and was drying a dish when he dropped it by mistake. The porcelain plate made contact with the floor and shattered.

Toris thought, "Damn...I'm screwed..."

He screamed when he saw that Ivan was mad about his fine china being ruined and was about to smash the vodka bottle on the Lithuanian's head. He was about to apologize for his clumsiness when Ivan started to laugh it off, as if it was nothing.

"Da, Lithuania has butter fingers..." Toris was surprised at the Russian's reaction.

He smiled, which Toris saw. "Just be careful next time, or a body part of yours will break instead."

"Yes, Mr. Russia, sir," Toris said quickly as he went to grab a broom to sweep up the mess. Ivan chuckled and sipped his vodka.

"Da, I feel weird that I don't get to hurt people, but being nice...is somewhat comforting?"

He shook his head and went up to his study to catch up on his reading. He got to his desk and saw the files on the table. He pouted, but his face was serious.

"Better get started, da." He sat on his comfy desk and began to read and sign the files.

Twenty minutes passed and Ivan decided to take a break. He looked at the clock, which read: 11:10 am. He was done his work already and his mind went back to his heart. He was starting to figure out what made his heart tick. He was in a daze until someone knocked on the door.

Estonia brought some more files in and said, "Sir, here are the files that came from the boss." He gestured to the new stack that almost reached to his eyes. He was walking slowly due to his reduced sight, and did not notice the carpet bump, so he slipped by accident and fell flat on his face. The papers flew towards Ivan as if they were a swarm of hornets attacking an enemy, causing Ivan fall to the ground, taking his chair with him.

"Estonia!" Ivan yelled as he got himself up.

He looked at his Baltic nation's condition, and saw that he had a bruise on his head. He was trying to get himself up, and Ivan felt the urge to help the boy out. He didn't think he needed to, seeing how it was Estonia's fault, but Ivan wanted to keep his promise, so he decided against that thought. He went to pick up the boy. Estonia was confused at the small gesture, but thanked Russia nonetheless.

"Da, you clean up the mess, Da. We wouldn't want something bad to happen to your iPad..." Estonia flinched at the threat, and went to pick up the files. Russia did not need to hurt the other Baltics; he knew Estonia loved his ipad like it was a fourth brother.

"Oh, dear, why is Russia being nice all of the sudden? Must be my imagination, yes," the nation thought as he collected the files and handed them to Russia. Ivan giggled and went to his desk to start reading. Estonia was still waiting to be dismissed.

"Da, you can leave now," Russia dismissed the boy, who nodded.

"Thank you."

He swiftly left the room, hoping that Russia would not change his mind. He closed the door on his way out.

Russia was starting to scare himself; he was getting too soft...but it would make Matvey happy...right? Ivan was beginning to doubt himself. He wanted to show Matthew that his lessons are working for him. He started to work on the pile to forget his doubts.

An hour later, he was finally done. He smiled. "Da. All finished. This deserves some vodka!"

He brought out his vodka and finished it completely. He pouted; he had finished his vodka too early, and he was too lazy to go to the kitchen to retrieve some more. He went back to thinking about his heart, which he was slowly putting back together. Ivan discovered that whenever he thought of Matthew, his heart would have a reaction. The real question was why? Russia growled in frustration. He would not be defeated by his own heart! He decided to do something else to waste some time.

He wanted to draw, so he went looking for his notebook. Russia searched everywhere for it, checking his bed, drawer, closet, study desk, kitchen...but all were unsuccessful. He scratched his head and decided to look for his notebook in the living room, believing it would be there.

"Where is it?" Russia said to himself; he was getting frustrated at his failed mission.

The living room was in complete disarray; the sofa cushions had been tossed around the room, the coffee table was flipped over, the bookshelf was missing half its contents and was spread across the floor.

Ivan noticed the mess and shrugged. "Da, Latvia will clean it up."

He fixed the love seat and sat himself on the sofa. He decided to trace his steps back to where he had left it.

"Da, I had it a few days ago...then I brought it to Matvey's house...and then...I..." he realized that Canada had his notebook! He knew he did not have any homework, so Matvey had decided to keep it.

"Damn! I must get to Matvey's house quickly."

He was worried that Matvey will see the things he tried to hide from the other. He went to pick up his shoes and left in a hurry, hoping that his secret will be safe. He had a reputation at stake and he did not Matvey to think any less of him. These thoughts motivated his legs to run faster.

[page break]

Canada was done with his work and was sitting in his study with a smile on his face; he had only a manila file to read and sign. Since visiting Russia took a lot of his time, he had become better at managing it so he would not let his workload pile up. He was in his study, bored out of his mind.

He sighed. "I don't know what to do. I already fed Kumaloki and cleaned up the house..." He thought about Russia, trying to think of some possible lessons for him.

"I guess I could try to teach him about trust. Trust is very important in friendship..." he muttered to himself. He remembered Russia's notebook and gasped.

"Of course! I'll review the list to get some ideas!"

Canada opened the drawer in his desk to see Russia's notebook. He grabbed it and opened it to the first page. Matthew scanned the information, and then went to look over Ivan's homework.

"Mmmm...It will take a while for Ivan to be successful at this, but I hope he is taking my advice about being nice. It will make things easier."

Matthew always took the benefit of the doubt with others; he still believed that Ivan could do this. He smiled and went through his book, until his purple-blue eyes caught something.

Matthew then went, "Ehhh?"

Matthew saw Ivan's doodles of the Allies and Axis members. He looked at each individual character, and was surprised at Ivan's talent. Canada knew he wasn't much of an artist, but knowing Ivan can draw...well, it made him breathless, and now slightly guilty. He felt bad for looking through Ivan's stuff.

"Ivan will kill me for this, but this was worth it," he said as he looking at the drawings.

He laughed at his brother's image, and giggled at the Axis's members. "It seems he got their personalities right on the dot, eh?"

He looked at his Papa and smiled at the amazing resemblance. He finally glanced at his Father's picture and frowned. It would have made him laugh, but it reminded him of hateful words and without realizing it, he closed the book and set it down.

"How can I ever face England after hearing all of that?" he asked, entering a depressed state.

Matthew assumed that England did not mean it, and he wanted to take back what he had said in front of France. But he knew deep in his heart that Arthur real's feelings towards the Canadian were true. It made him angry.

"Hoser..." he muttered angrily and went downstairs to make a drink. Whenever Matthew was angry, he would play some hockey, eat or drink to calm himself down.

"Where is my maple syrup?" he asked himself as he search through the pantry.

He finally found some. He smiled and took a huge gulp of it, leaving a trail of syrup on his chin. Hey, don't judge him for drinking maple syrup. Alfred would do the same with chocolate syrup. The moment the Canadian thought of his twin, there was a knock on the door.

"Speak of the devil. I wonder what he wants this time..." he said as he ran to open the door. He saw none other than Alfred.

"Hey Mattie!" the American said as he hugged his brother.

Matthew pushed him off before he had the chance to squeeze him to death.

"Hey...Alfred. Is there something you want?"

He had learned from experience that Alfred would remember his existence only if he needed him to do something. Alfred had a pained look on his face.

"Mattie, don't say that. Can't I see my broski and ask how he's doing?"

Matthew tapped his foot and folded his arms. He glared at Alfred, telling him to speak the truth. Alfred broke down in three seconds.

"Okay, okay. I wanted you to help me out."

Matthew sighed, "I don't think so. Go ask someone else."

Alfred whined at Matthew's response, "Aww, don't be like that. I'm the Hero and the sidekick always helps out!"

Matthew was getting tired of Alfred's excuses. He would always get guilt-tripped into doing whatever his brother asked (since he had those puppy eyes that Matthew could never say no to). But after helping him, Alfred would act so obnoxious about it and take the credit. With these emotions, he manage to spit out a very cold, "No, Alfred, not this time and not the next time."

"But Mattie! You have to! Or you have to face my secret weapon! Look into my eyes." Alfred leaned towards Matthew's face and widened his eyes.

Matthew, at first, flinched at the proximity but then closed his eyes and thought about the anger and frustration. He remembered Russia's face and his eyes.

"I never realized how purple his eyes are..." He blushed at the thought, and replaced the thought with the irritation for Alfred.

Matthew did a menacing glare, and said with an icy tone, "No, Alfred, go home. I have someone that I have to meet." Matthew walked around his brother.

Alfred melodramatically fainted, saying "Why? Mattie, why have you forsaken me!"

"Yeah, Al..." Matthew said nonchalantly as he went to pick up his brother, "Come on..." Alfred did not put any effort into getting up.

The Canadian was getting fed up with Alfred's behaviour. He was acting like a misbehaved child. He decided to take his syrup to his study to drink in peace. Alfred was now sitting on the floor with a pout on his face and his arms crossed.

"Alfred, by the time I come back, please be gone...for your sake. Kumajoki is hungry again and would love to bite someone," he darkly joked, which resulted in Alfred having a terrified look on his face.

He still stubbornly stayed. Matthew went upstairs.

After ten minutes, Alfred was placated, and sighed.

"Geez, Mattie, when did you grow some balls? I wanted to tell you to help me with the world meeting that I'm hosting tomorrow."

He cheered himself up and was about to leave, until he heard the door knock.

"Better answer it..." He rushed to the door to find someone he did not like to see.

"Russia," the American said coldly.

"America," Russia said in the same way.

Alfred blocked the entrance, which peeved Russia. "Da, it is rude to keep guest outside."

Alfred growled in response, "Well, if I remember correctly, Mattie did not expect you to come."

Russia smiled, "Da, it was unexpected, but I must see him."

Alfred growled something about 'stupid commie bastards crashing into people's homes uninvited.' He grudging let Ivan inside the house. Russia was waiting patiently for Matvey to arrive.

"Da, where is Matvey?"

Alfred was puzzled at the name, and then corrected him. "Dude, I don't know who Matvey is, but his name is Mattie."

Ivan was puzzled at the American's behaviour, but shrugged it off.

After a few moments, Canada arrived with Ivan's notebook. "Alfred, you should be gone by now. Oh!" Canada stopped talking at the sight of Russia in his home.

"Ivan! I wasn't expecting you until later..." Alfred did not notice the slip-up, and the Canadian cursed himself at his own mistake.

"I mean Russia, is there something you need?"

Russia looked at his prize, and said, "Da, I wanted my notebook back."

Alfred was shocked throughout the display, but he managed to hid it and said, "Mattie, I am sorry for letting the damn commie enter your house. Do you want me to kick him out?" he asked as he prepared himself.

Russia commented back, "Da, it won't be necessary. I got what I wanted..."

Matthew was surprised at Russia's restraint; usually he would get confrontational at his brother's rude behaviour. Matthew smiled, thinking that Russia was acting on his promise and handed his notebook to Russia, who smiled back.

The exchanges of smiles went unnoticed by the American. Russia showed his own way out before Alfred had the chance to do him the courtesy. Alfred was stunned at the sudden closeness the two arctic nations shared.

"That was weird...For a second, it seemed that Russia was being nice...hahah that's too funny." He laughed at his own joke. Matthew did not say anything.

He was in a good mood and did not want to be disturbed. He walked away. "Bye Al." Alfred was miffed at being ignored and left his twin's house.

[page break]

A few hours later, Canada knocked at Russia's door on time for his lesson. He had brought his polar bear and his hockey stick. He would have felt scared for his bear's life, but he managed to trust Russia enough that he would not hurt him. He carried a weapon this time.

Russia opened the door, "Matvey! Come in, da."

Canada allowed himself to enter. Ivan noticed his friend's appearance; his shoulders were slouched and his head was drooping a bit lower. It must be the bear's weight, Ivan assumed. Matvey was almost as tall as his chest or at least as tall as his chin, or so he presumed. He remembered the proximity that they had shared during Canada's last lesson, and he blushed at the thought.

Matthew did not notice Ivan's tinted cheeks; he was focused on being too tired from carrying his pet.

He asked, "Umm Ivan, what are you doing?"

He was feeling embarrassed at being stared at. Ivan did not move, being lost in thought, until he said, "Da, I see. Matvey, drop bear."

"Ehh?" Matthew took a few seconds to process what Ivan meant.

"Ok then," Matthew gently placed his bear down and finally stood up.

Ivan noticed how his shoulders were relaxed and how he was able to raise his neck higher. Matthew's head stood proud and Ivan was right about his height; he was close to his chin. Ivan smiled at the change in Matvey's posture.

He murmured, "Da...I was right." Matthew heard what Russia said, and wondered, "What did he mean he was right? Right about what?"

He was lost in his thoughts, and did not realize that Russia's body was very close to his person.

Matthew blushed at the proximity and stuttered out, "R-Russia?"

After Russia laughed he said, "Da, you almost as tall as me! But I'm still the tallest."

Russia had assumed that the North American twins were the same height, but he was mistaken, seeing how Canada was the second largest landmass. He was an inch taller than America. Both males were very close enough that they could feel each other's heartbeat. Ivan noticed the slight increased rate of his heart, but it wasn't enough to worry him. Matthew was still red, and he shifted when Russia patted his head to double check his hypothesis.

"Da, the bear is problem. Do not bring bear to meeting tomorrow."

Matthew was about to argue that he wanted to bring his bear. What held his tongue back was the shoulder pains he suffered each and every meeting, caused by carrying the polar bear.

"Ok. I see. Will this help me be noticed?"

Ivan laughed his usual laugh, which Matthew felt on his cheek, and he shuddered involuntarily.

"Da. You look taller compared to America. People notice height."

He saw Canada beam at this information. "Thanks Russia." He hugged the Russian.

Ivan's heart was beating so fast, his face turned red. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around his student's petit frame.

"Da..." he said shyly, and continued the embrace, until a voice interrupted them.

"Hungry," Kumataki said, and Matthew let go of Ivan, who pouted cutely.

"Stupid bear," he cursed internally, and gave him a glare.

Kumajirou was immune to it, and shrugged it off. Walking towards his master, he repeated himself. "Hungry...Feed me."

Canada nodded; he had some salmon bits in his pocket. He bent down and fed his bear. "Here ya go."

Ivan looked at the touching scene. "Da, Matvey looks happy feeding bear...cute."

The polar bear was fed and asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Canada. I just fed you a few moments ago," Matthew said with a bit of irritation. He also felt embarrassed that Ivan saw how his own pet disrespected him.

"Oh," the bear said and went to the corner of the room to take a nap

He did not acknowledge Russia's presence. Ivan took notice of that, and became miffed. "Bear is disrespectful, da?"

Russia brought out his pipe. "I fix it. Give me five minutes with bear and I'll-" he said as his purple aura shined through his body. He was about to walk towards the bear, spitting out some kolkolkols, until he felt pressure on shoulders.

Matthew quickly held him down, putting a protective grip on Russia's shoulders. "No! You will not hurt him. I'll deal with him."

He lowered his arms and Russia said, "Da. That is lesson for today: make bear remember your name."

"Ehhhh?" Matthew gasped. He thought it would be something extremely difficult.

Russia looked dumfounded. "It is not hard, this is practice for the meeting tomorrow." Matthew was taken aback at the new information.

"What meeting?" he asked, embarrassed. Ivan replied back with a stern face, "Da, America will host meeting tomorrow. Did America not tell you?"

"Nope. I guess that is what he meant when he said he needed help." Canada smiled.

"Good. I always helped him out, but he always acts like such like a hoser at the end." Russia beamed at the news.

"Da. Canada is improving. You said no. That is good."

Canada blushed at the compliment. This somehow reminded Canada about Russia's promise.

"Russia...did you keep your promise?"

"Da. I was nice to the Baltics, Ukraine and somehow Belarus. Which was not easy," Ivan said and saw how Canada's face was full of happiness.

"That's great, Ivan! This is only the first step; soon you'll be make a friend in no time, eh!" Matthew's motivation lightened the room, and Ivan felt proud. His heart responded back with fervour, beating erratically. He grabbed his chest as a reflex, but soon his heart recovered.

Ivan thought, "Da, it is definitely Canada that makes my heart feel funny..." Russia shook his head, now focusing on his student.

Canada went straight to his bear and said, "Kumatoki...my name is Canada, ok."

Kuma was still asleep. Canada sighed at his stupidity.

He woke up his bear and repeated, "Kumataki, my name is Canada," he said as he pointed to himself.

The polar bear yawned and said, "Who?"

Canada repeated himself again, "Kumatoki, my name is Canada. C-A-N-A-D-A."

He moved closer to his bear. The animal replied back, with an undertone of disrespect, "Who?"

This scene replayed itself for a good twenty minutes. Ivan face-palmed to himself and muttered, "So sad."

Canada was getting depressed as the verbal abuse went on, but at the same time, his anger was increasing, soon to reach the boiling point.

Canada was starting to get really hurt about this. He had always thought his bear had a short-term memory problem, but Matthew could see that he was too soft, meaning his own pet wouldn't take him seriously. He was starting to get frustrated.

Ivan was watching the pitiful scene unfold. "Da, no wonder he is forgotten. He lets himself be unnoticed. I'll fix it."

He noticed the hockey stick on the ground, and yelled, "Catch, Matvey."

Matthew turned his head towards the sound, and saw an incoming stick flying towards him. He grabbed it before it made contact with his head.

"Ivan! What was that for?" Canada's voice raised in volume.

He just about got hit by his own stick, and Ivan giggled back.

"Da, use it on bear." Canada was confused; he did not want to abuse his own bear, but his attitude was asking for it.

The bear was about to go to sleep, until he heard a noise coming from the floor. Canada smacked the hockey stick on the ground, which startled Kumajirou. He looked his master in the eyes, grumpy that his sleep was disturbed.

"What?" he said, and Canada was getting angrier by the second.

"I said: My name is Canada. What is my name?" Canada had his angry face on, fiddling with his hockey stick.

It made the Canadian look twice as intimating, so Kumakiki shivered in fear.

"...Canadia?" The bear was unsure of how his master would respond, and at the corner of his eyes, he saw vodka breath with a sinister smile on his face.

"I hate that guy so much," the bear thought, shaking in fear.

Canada felt good that the bear almost remembered his name, but he wasn't satisfied.

"Close but no cigar." He was about to pretend to hit his bear, until he heard, "CANADA!"

Kumjioru cried out, "My master's name is Canada!" Canada proceeded to hug his bear in happiness.

Russia smiled. "Da, teaching is easy. I should be a teacher." He wanted to reward himself for a job well done, only to discover that he had no vodka!

"Matvey, where is my vodka?"

Matthew replied, "I have it, Russia. It's in my bag over there." He pointed to the bag right beside Ivan. The Canadian released his hug, and the bear was happy that the ordeal was over so he could go to back to sleep. Matthew went to Russia and hugged him again.

"Thanks, Russia, so much for everything. I feel confident in myself, and all because of you!"

In the spur of the moment, Canada's face went close to Ivan's and he placed a small peck on Ivan's chubby cheek.

Canada was too happy to notice that Russia was beet red as he said, "Da, if Matvey is happy, I'm happy."

His heart was filled with fluffy feelings that Ivan soon recognized as the cause of his discomfort in the previous lesson.

"I see...these feelings I get are from Canada. Do I feel something for him?"

Ivan still looked dazed, and Canada calmed himself down enough to notice the Russian's blush. He then remembered his actions, and was soon flabbergasted at his behaviour.

"Russia! I ...well...I didn't mean..I'm so sorry," he apologized quickly and frantically, hoping he did not offend Ivan in any way.

Russia returned the courtesy, placing a small peck on Matvey's left cheek.

"Da, you worry too much. We are friends..."

He showed his dazzling smile, making Matthew blush a deep red and stutter, "Oui."

Russia, seeing Matvey all embarrassed and nervous, thought he was cute. His heart was beating regularly, and he felt relieved that he had found the answer: he was attracted to Canada.

He accepted it, but he knew it terrified him. Like a superpower, with power comes great responsibility. He smiled at the thought, and said, "Da, lesson is over. I think Matvey is ready for the world meeting."

Matthew then said with confidence, "We'll see."

He got his stuff ready, until Ivan said, "Matvey, be careful at meeting. I don't want the others to know about this..." Ivan remembered his mistake, and was thinking America would expose them.

Matthew laughed. "Don't worry about Al. He is slow when it comes to secretes, I know."

He smiled. "I'll pretend that I don't know ya, eh?" he joked, and Ivan pouted a little.

"Matvey, I have bad feeling about this..."

"Good night, Ivan," Matthew said while he waved goodbye, with Kumajirou following behind. The bear glared hatefully before he wagged his butt at the Russian.

Russia growled, "Stupid bear. One of these days..."

[page break]

Earlier that day, the Baltics were eating lunch and discussing their favourite topic: Russia.

"Have you guys noticed Russia's change of heart recently?" Lithuania asked his two siblings.

Estonia and Latvia replied back, "Yes."

They all reported their moments with Russia, and they drew different conclusions. Latvia assumed that he was being nice as a joke, while Estonia reasoned that it was an excuse for Russia to be extra mean to them the next day. Lithuania assumed it had to do with his guest. This idea captured Estonia and Latvia's curiosity.

"So, are you telling me someone has been visiting Russia for days now, and this person is influencing him to be good?" Estonia paraphrased Toris, who nodded. Latvia couldn't believe it; he was still shaking at the thought.

"Could it be possible? Can Russia have a heart?" Toris sighed, and went back to eating. Estonia thought they were crazy while Latvia just slurped his soup.

The Baltics would have to see it to believe it, but deep inside, they knew Russia's real intention behind those forced acts of kindness. They had only ten minutes left to eat until they went back to their duties.

Unbeknownst to them, a figure was eavesdropping on their entire conversation...and this person was not pleased at all.


	8. The World Meeting

Matthew Williams was getting ready for the world meeting. He was nervous and he didn't feel too confident; he was unsure if his newly developed skills would allow him to be noticeable. Sure, if Germany or Spain or any other nation was in charge, he could have managed to speak, not that anyone would would have noticed his presence (since he was still unrecognizable). He sighed as he adjusted his tie. He was in front of a mirror and was looking good in his brown pressed suit. He wore a white undershirt that included a red tie. The look was completed with his comfy brown loafers.

"Out of all the world meetings...why does Al have to host this one...He always hogs the spotlight and never lets the rest of the nations have a chance speak out against his stupid ideas," he muttered as he stopped fixing his tie to look over himself.

He smiled as he looked over his attire. Matthew always dressed nicely since he had been raised by his Papa. He had taught Mathieu to always dress to impress; he was thankful for the fashion sense that he had been blessed to receive (Alfred was not that lucky...at times he had no fashion sense at all). Living under England's rule, he was forced to dress in stuffy English attire that was always itchy and too bland for his liking.

Kumajirou was standing besides his master and said, "Don't worry..."

He nudged his master's leg and looked at his eyes. "Canada...Will be fine."

Canada's smile widened and he hugged his bear. "Oh Kuma...thanks for the pick me up."

He later went to the kitchen to feed his bear, and the bear ate the salmon bits happily. He was double checking if he had forgotten something, but he shrugged it off. He was about to head off. His lingering thought was Russia and his promise. He shut the door and headed out.

[page break]

"Big Brother...you must get ready for the meeting...come down this instant!" the Slavic woman yelled across the room at Russia's house.

Russia was in the fetal position on the floor of his room. He was shaking in fear. He did not want to be alone with his younger sister, especially for a one hour drive in her car!

"She could rape me if she had the chance...No one will know, da?" Russia thought and shuddered at the idea. He was already prepared for the meeting, seeing how he has his notes ready inside his coat pocket.

He wished that Belarus would forget this promise and come to the meeting alone. Ukraine was smart enough to leave thirty minutes earlier.

"Damn...Should have gone with Katyusha," Ivan muttered angrily. This was all stupid Canada's fault and his ridicules promise of kindness that he felt obligated to fulfill. He noticed footsteps approaching him and panic ensued. Ivan quickly ran to lock the doors and soon hid behind his bed with his knees touching his chest and his arms hugging his whole body, as if it would protect him.

"Big Brother open the door...I know you are in there...let me in and help you get ready..." Belarus said sweetly and creepily at the same time, and Russia gasped in fear. Belarus did not hear Ivan's response so she decided to open the door, only to discover that it was locked. She was soon angry and her voice proved that.

"Big Brother...Open the door this instant! Or do I have to break in?"

Ivan teared up at the thought and yelled, "GO AWAY!" He repeated himself over and over again, hoping Natalya would back off. She ignored him and broke the door handle.

Ivan jumped and yelled, "GO AWAY GO AWAY GO AWAY."

Natalya just grinned like a lion who had cornered a little white rabbit.

"Big Brother...Let's become one...da?"

Meanwhile, upstairs at the second floor, Ukraine was waiting for Canada to arrive. She was a few doors down from the actual meeting that would take place. She noticed and greeted some nations who passed by (the Nordics, Cuba, the Baltics, Switzerland with her sibling Liechtenstein, and Austria). She checked the time on her watch to see that the meeting would begin in twenty minutes.

She said, "I hope Canada will come soon...I must speak to him." The busty woman was getting anxious and was impatiently waiting for Canada to arrive.

She later saw Canada down the hall and proceeded to run to him. Canada heard the sound of her breasts shaking with each step she took.

She waved. "Canada, I want to talk to you."

Matthew was surprised that Ukraine could tell the difference between him and his twin and smiled. "Ok...but be quick because the meeting will start soon."

Matthew thought, "Well, at least the height difference is working so far...I hope this translates to the actual meeting," as he walked towards his friend.

Ukraine was facing the Canadian. She had a smile on her face and asked, "Canada...are you seeing anybody that I know?"

Canada was taken aback at the question. Thinking that Katyusha meant Ivan, he quickly answered, "Umm...yes...I have been visiting my brother lately."

That was half a lie...It was actually the reverse but he wanted to be sure Ukraine was mentioning Alfred. Ukraine noticed the nervousness and it told her that Matthew was hiding something.

Ukraine decided to use a different tactic; she smiled again and used her sweet voice to say, "Tak...but I mean is someone different visiting you?" She grabbed Matthew's shoulder and leaned closer to the boy.

Matthew had to inch away from her chest. He felt embarrassed being near her chest as to not give the Ukrainian a bad impression.

"Umm...I don't understand what you mean..." Matthew fibbed. He was fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, and Ukraine grinned at her hunch. She leaned back to give the male some space.

She asked nicely, "We friends right..and friends do not hide secretes...Tak?" She was using guilt to make Matthew spill the beans, but it proved to be fruitless.

"I know, Ukraine...but what does that have to do with this?" Canada said as he tried to weasel his way out of this. He was surprise that he managed to say that with a straight face. Ukraine did not want be defeated, so she unleashed her weapon: her eyes began to water.

"Canada...I know you're hiding something from me...I thought we friends...tak!" the Slavic women sobbed, which made Canada flinch.

Ukraine was acting out fake tears. She knew that Canada hated when women or children cried, since he always felt bad for them and did not know how to calm them down. Matthew cursed his luck. He wanted to keep his oath of secrecy...but Ivan had not mentioned his sisters...so he thought it would be okay. He wanted Ukraine to stop crying...She was making a scene and a few passer-by took notice.

"Russia will kill me for this...but I hope Ukraine will stay quiet for both our sakes."

Canada sighed. "You win...I'll tell you...please stop crying."

Ukraine stopped sobbing and instead hugged the Canadian. "Tak...Thanks Canada, so do tell."

Ukraine released him from her hug and was all ears to listen to Matthew's confession.

"I'm seeing Russia for personal reasons...I mean...We formed a deal to help each other overcome our weaknesses." Canada continued his explanation while Ukraine patiently listened to every word.

"You see, I wanted to be noticed so Russia offered to help out...if I can teach him how to get a friend," Canada admitted, and he felt relieved that he had told someone about it. Ukraine was happy at the arrangement and hugged Matthew again.

"This is good...Please continue this, it will be good for Russia...He needs someone in his life, tak." Ukraine did not notice that her words had affected Matthew and that he blushed at the comment.

"Yeah...I'm also his friend as well..." he admitted shyly, which made Ukraine squeal in delight. She decided to run back to the meeting room, hoping she wouldn't be late.

"Don't worry...I will keep your secret, tak." She waved at Canada, and he returned the courtesy.

"You make Russia happy...Tak." Canada blushed at the statement.

"Maple Leaf...What did I got myself into...It seems that Ukraine wants us to be more than friends, eh?" the Canadian thought as he headed towards the meeting room, his cheeks tinted pink.

"I mean...do I have feelings for Ivan? I enjoy his company as a friend...but do I see him romantically?" The Canadian was thinking about Ukraine's words and took them to heart.

He assumed that Ivan would not like him that way and was afraid of rejection...He had already suffered heart break before, and he did not want to repeat it.

When Canada entered the meeting room, most of the nations were assembled at the table. He saw that three-fourths of the world was already seated. He scanned the room to try to locate the Russian, but sadly to no avail.

"I hope you won't be late, Ivan," he prayed silently to himself as he puffed out his chest and strolled into the room to find his designated seat. He glanced at America doing some last minute reviewing of his notes. He sat next to his brother on his right side.

Alfred noticed him and said, "Hey bro!...Dude, about the favour, don't worry about it, I don't need your help!" He patted his twin on the shoulder, which made Canada sigh.

"Al...Thanks...I'll help you out some other time. I was expecting someone and I did not want to disappoint him." Alfred shrugged it off and replied, "Yeah, I know. Wish me luck!"

The Canadian smiled back. "Good luck...!"

Matthew hoped that Alfred did not make a fool of himself or try to start a fight with Ivan. He later turned to see England sipping a cup of tea. He tensed at the sight, thinking back on that day. He gulped and greeted the Briton, trying his best not to let his nervousness seep into his voice. "Good morning, England." England did not reply back at first, so Canada repeated himself.

England took notice and replied, "Ah...yes lad...good morning to you too."

He did not appear to be interested in talking to Matthew. The Canadian could see that on his face. "Is he doing this on purpose? That hoser, I'll give him a piece of my mind."

The Canadian went back to his notes and ignored Arthur.

This made the Englishman slightly curious. "Interesting...He would usually try to talk to me more to get my attention...hmm."

He made a mental note and drank his tea. Alfred was too absorbed in his notes to take part in the conversation.

The rest of the nations were chatting to their respective partners and a rumour was spreading about the nation who had entered the room (Canada). Most countries assumed that he was a new nation; some could tell due to the height difference. Matthew smiled to himself that it was working.

Unfortunately, most countries could still not remember his name...He was disappointed, but he believed they would after this meeting. That was when he heard a voice correcting the mistake.

"Keeseeseesee...The guy is Canada...Remember that, people!"

Canada was surprised at Prussia's kind gesture. He did not like it, since it always meant trouble for him. Austria was sitting beside him with Germany sitting beside's his older brother.

The Austrian said, "My apologies...I was grossly misinformed."

Germany did not react to the announcement. "Ja, I knew that already."

Italy was beside Germany and was talking to Romano. He overheard Prussia's voice and relayed the message, which irritated his brother.

"Damn...Do you think I care about what's his face...bastard," he huffed out. Spain noticed the Italian and hugged him close, unaware of the situation.

"Romano, you are so cute when you're angry...You look red as a tomato."

"Shut up you idiota," he yelled at the Spaniard. Spain just laughed it off as usual.

Japan was sitting alongside China, Taiwan, Korea, and Hong Kong. They also heard Prussia's voice from across the room and they were surprised by the information.

"I see...that is Canada...hmm," Hong Kong muttered to himself. Taiwan was also looking at Canada and could see the difference from America. She nodded in agreement. China was getting a headache from all the noise in the room.

"I must prepare some ancient medicine to cure my head."The Asian did not care much for the information.

Korea was shouting out, waving his arms animatedly, "Canada was originated in Korea da zae~!" This got a few looks from the other nations, and China had to pull his sleeves down to bring him in his seat. "Be quiet aru!"

The rest of them were trying to control the others (Switzerland and Germany). America finally decided to step in and try to begin the meeting. That was, until another nation entered fashionably late.

"Ohhhononon...Let's not start the meeting without my beautiful presence, non?" Francis said with such attitude as he flicked his long wavy hair.

"You frog...We were about to commence. What took you so long?" the Briton snapped at the French man.

Francis smirked and said, "Right...I was on my way until I saw the most gorgeous women I ever laid eyes on, so I had to talk to her and to get her number..." The rest was ignored and they both went to their seats. France was sitting beside Canada.

"Hello papa," the Canadian greeted his father, and Francis smiled.

"Bonjour Mathieu...It's been awhile since we talked, no?"

"Oui...it has." Canada enjoyed his time with his Papa.

The exception was when he tried to molest him from time to time. He did not always like it...but he believed his Papa would never actually hurt him. Francis had not bothered to bring his notes, since his goal was to harass England. He was scanning the room to find another victim of sexual harassment.

Matthew sighed at his Papa's antics again. "He's very persistent...eh."

He was still looking and still Russia was not here yet. "Where are you, Ivan?" He was getting worried, thinking something bad must have happened to Ivan on the way here. He saw Ukraine sitting next to the Baltics, and there were two empty seats beside the woman. Matthew concluded they must be Ivan's and Belarus's.

"Oh no...you don't think Belarus finally succeed in becoming one with Russia?" His uneasiness was building as the seconds passed by.

He began to fidget with his papers. As the time passed, the noise level of the room increased and soon a few quarrels broke out. Sweden and Denmark were having a staring contest and Berwald was wining. Finland was trying to stop it while Norway and Iceland were betting on how fast Denmark's ass would be kicked. The brothers both knew that the Dane would cheat and it would piss off the Swede very much.

Another argument broke out between France and England with America watching. Alfred was not going to start the meeting until all the countries are present...so he decided to be a spectator in the verbal fight between the two adults. France was telling Arthur that he was about to score, which made Arthur call him a flirt. France took offence to that and said he couldn't get some, which made England so upset that he was starting to choke him.

America was laughing at the thought. "England a virgin...Dude, that's so sad...ahahaha."

Prussia was harassing poor Austria. "Don't make this hard Specsy...Let the Awesome Prussia invade your vital regions," he said as he was grabbing the pianist.

Austria tried to shrugged him off and was telling him to stop. The Hungarian saw the scene unfolding and was about to bring out her frying pan to smack the Albino into space.

"Hands off Austria, you creep!...Don't make me use my good pan!" Germany was raging on the inside and was about to yell at everyone. Luckily for that, the room went silent at the sound of the door opening.

Belarus entered, soon followed by Russia. Belarus had her cold demeanour and walked with perfect poise. The Balitcs whimpered when Natalya was taking her seat. Russia did not look too great...Matthew could tell that he was shaken up and his posture was hunched.

He sighed in relief at the Russian's arrival. "Thank god Ivan is at least safe."

Russia's face was sad with a mix of fear that most nations noticed. He quickly walked to his seat. Matthew wanted to hug him. He stood up from his seat and was about to, but Ivan's face told him to stay put. Canada hesitantly did so...He was wondering why Ivan was acting weird towards him. He would probably ask later during break. Russia quickly took his seat. The rest of the nations were concerned and were wondering what had happened to him.

"Dude, what happened? You look like crap, man." Alfred laughed. He did not really care; it would make things easier for him leading the meeting.

Russia ignored him and looked at his seat. Matthew wanted to tell his brother off, assuming something was wrong with his country.

"Al...I think Russia's not feeling too great...Please continue the meeting."

Alfred was surprised at Matthew's concern but he wanted to get the meeting started, and he did not want to look like a villain, so he agreed.

"Yeah...whatever...Everyone, the topic we'll be discussing is global warming."

Matthew was glad that Alfred was going to leave Russia alone. He felt he could relax as Alfred blubbered about his plan to stop global warming by building a giant robot to shield the Earth: the Robo-Global Man.

Japan was the first to agree (as always), and Switzerland objected to Kiku's lack of balls and yelled at him for not stating his opinion. This led to England telling America his plan was stupid and explained his flaws, only for France to object to both England and America's ideas.

The rest of the nations said their words...except for Greece, who was asleep through all the commotion. Turkey, Cyprus, and Egypt did not have any input and they were concerned for other world matters.

China was the first to speak out some of his ideas for trying to reduce gas emission. A few murmurs could be heard in approval of the idea. America stepped in and asked for everyone's suggestion on how to do it. The Baltics would have loved to answer, but Belarus was silencing them by showing her knife to them. Ukraine had a few ideas, but she didn't think they were any good so she refrained from speaking. Russia was recovering from the ordeal and was slowly returning to his state of mind. He did a few ideas to say...but he was watching Canada, hoping he would manage to say his idea.

Matthew was looking at Russia and Ivan returned the stare. He smiled back, hoping it would cheer him up, and it did. Belarus noticed the gaze and her jealousy grew. Natalya glared scarily at Matthew, which made Canada gasp, "What the hockey...Why is Belarus glaring at me..."He tried to focus on the nations, but the staring still continued.

"I wished she would stop...somehow." This continued for about twenty minutes, and Canada was getting frustrated at the woman's persistence. Ivan noticed and tried to say something, but he knew it would draw more suspicion on his part...Plus, he did not want to suffer under her hands again, so he restrained himself, which was difficult for him.

"Sorry Matvey...do not hate me...It's Belarus..." he thought darkly, and there was a sad look on his face.

Ukraine noticed this and tried to stop Natalya. She glared at her, which made Katyusha cry a little. She was still scared of her, but she had to help Ivan and Matthew, so she placed her hand on her younger sibling's shoulder.

"Bela...please stop staring...It's rude...tak." Belarus ignored her and was thinking of bringing out a knife to throw at the Canadian.

Her hand brought out a knife. Ukraine noticed and took the knife away. "No!...You will not hurt anyone...We are in a meeting, behave."

Natalya was taken aback by the scolding, but she stopped her movement for now.

"I think Ukraine knows more about Canada...she would never go against me, let alone take my favourite knife away..." the Slavic woman thought as she stayed on her best behaviour for the rest of the meeting. Matthew smiled at Katyusha for saving his butt. Ukraine winked at him to say 'you're welcome'. Matthew was ready and was focused. Russia witnessed Ukraine's bravery, and he was happy for her support. Nevertheless, Russia took notice of her action towards Matvey.

"Ukraine...Does she know the secret? Is possible, da?" he thought as he watched the rest of the meeting unfold with America doing the commentary.

Matthew was able to pay attention, still looking for a chance to speak. He wanted to say his idea because he was passionate when it came to the environment. He knew the affects of global warming, particularly how the polar bears' homes were melting.

"So, are there any other suggestions?" his brother asked his fellow nations.

This was Matthew's chance. He stood up and cleared his throat. He felt all eyes on him. He was nervous but he pushed it down and was about to speak. "Um...you see...I-"

He was about to explain his idea when England interrupted him.

"Well...I have an idea that we should-" the Briton said and a few nations gave him a few dirty looks (France and Russia). He ignored them and was about to ramble on until he was disrupted by a voice.

" ...But I was about to speak," Canada said with such force that made a few nations gasped.

The rest of the nations were surprised by the audacity of the nation. England's brows furrowed in irritation, shocked that he was being rudely interrupted.

Matthew usually would sit down when a nation spoke over him, and he would always try again. This time, he was determined to speak at least once this entire meeting. He was still upset about the rude display earlier when England had given him the cold shoulder. He felt vindictive to get back at him. The rest of the nations gasped at the bravado shown, and America was equally surprised.

"Iggy, my bro's right...You have to wait your turn, dude."

England was upset that he was rudely interrupted and sat back down in his seat. Matthew did a small smile and finished his idea about implementing a worldwide eco-friendly program to promote energy-saving alternatives to reduce green house gases.

Everyone in the room nodded, and a few were expanding on the idea. Matthew felt proud and it was all thanks to Russia. He then saw Ivan smiling at him.

It brightened his spirit. He said, "Da...Canada has good idea...I will do it in my country."

The Axis members followed suit (they still remembered his name which made Canada happy), and soon almost everyone agreed to set up the program in their country. Canada had never felt as much joy as he did in that moment. He sat down and saw America smiling at him.

"Dude and Dudettes...I think this meeting is over! We can discuss the progress of Mattie's idea in the next world meeting."

After the meeting was adjourned, most of the nations were getting ready to leave. Japan went to Canada and complimented him on his idea, which led to Northern Italy agreed. Germany also said good bye to Canada, which made Matthew's heart fill with joy. America sighed in relief at the awesome job he did, and was surprised that Russia did not contribute to the discussion. He could not figure out why his brother was being nice to Russia...It made him angry, since he did not like someone taking his brother away from him. His eyes went to Matthew and he smiled at his twin's accomplishment.

"I'm proud bro...you did good today." He scanned the room to see Iggy still in his seat.

"Iggy! Sorry 'bout that...I had to be professional, right...I'll take you out drinking...my treat!" America cajoled Arthur, but his mood was still sour from Matthew.

"Maybe some other time, lad...I have something to attend to," he excused himself and left the room, leaving a dumbfounded American.

"Hmm...what's eating him...he's acting like his pride has been whipped or something."

Canada decided to stay. He was still thinking he was in a dream and wanted to pinch himself. Ukraine and the Baltics left not too long ago, and Belarus uncharacteristically left early, which was odd. Matthew assumed that she would kill him when the opportunity was present. Russia managed to be alone with Matthew.

That was, until he was blocked from his goal.

"Keeseseses...Birdie, you did great!" The Albino wrapped his arms around Matthew.

Canada was not in the mood, even though he was one of the few friends he had that did not mistake him for his twin.

Matthew said, "Thanks," trying to be modest.

Prussia was still very close, which made Matthew a bit flustered and blushing a bit. Gilbert noticed and wanted to tease him further.

"Birdie...do you remember the awesome favour I did for you before the meeting started?" he reminded as his hands traveled lower.

Matthew was getting uncomfortable and knew where this was headed. "Um...stop..this...Gilbert."

Gilbert stared into his eyes. "Birdie, let me invade your vital regions...you'll be awesome like me!"

Matthew sweat dropped at the delivery and was getting annoyed because the Albino was not getting the message.

He grabbed his hand and shoved him. "I said NO...Gilbert...leave me alone."

He was about to head out until his arm was grabbed. Matthew then glared at him, which made the Albino flinch and soon walk away. "Fine...I'll bother someone else then," he muttered as he shut the door.

Russia was jealous that Prussia was getting to close to Matthew. He wanted to grab his pipe and smash his face into dust. His oath to Matthew halted his steps.

"I have reason to kill someone because of attempted rape...da." He was already thinking of an excuse and was about to stop Prussia until he heard Matthew's voice.

But after seeing Matvey's confidence, he did not need to worry about Prussia hitting on him.

"I taught him well, da," he thought as he approached the Canadian.

"Da...that was very good," Ivan congratulated Matthew, who sheepishly smiled back.

"I would suggest that you hit him...but it would be too soon."

Matthew approached Ivan. He was happy that he had gotten rid of Gilbert and was wondering about his condition.

"Ivan...are you okay?...Did something happen?" he asked as he placed his hand on his shoulder, which made Russia lean closer to the Canadian.

Matthew was starting to like being near the Russian. He felt more at peace with his warmth radiating off him.

He blushed at the thought and stuttered, "Ivan...did Belarus do something?" Russia heard the question and he flinched at the idea.

"Da...I do not want talk about it...bad experience...but," his tone turned serious and Matthew looked at his eyes, "I think Belarus is on to us...it is best we do not do lessons for a while." Russia was sad about not seeing Matvey.

"It was best that Belarus did not know," he pouted. Matthew agreed, but he would not let Russia's younger sister win. He could not allow that!

"True...we could stop..but we can find other ways and places to do these private lessons, eh?" Canada suggested, which sparked Ivan's curiosity.

Ivan assumed that Natalya would continue to stay at his house for the time being, so Canada suggested they could do the lessons at his house until they could think of an alternative. Russia was a bit hesitant at first, but agreed. He expected that America would not know the secret anytime soon.

Canada smiled. "Don't worry...Alfred is slow when it comes to these things. It will take him a awhile to figure out. I mean, he came uninvited twice to my house and saw the clues..." He laughed at his own carelessness and it prompted Ivan to do a small chuckle.

[Or, "He laughed at his brother's naivety". I'm not sure which one you mean.]

"So...the next lesson will be at my house...but please bring your notebook," Matthew reminded the Russian and he nodded. Canada headed towards the door and was about to leave until he stopped his tracks. He turned around and walked back (leaving the door ajar) to give him a hug, which surprised Ivan.

"I'm glad you're okay, Ivan." Russia then returned the embrace and grinned.

"Da...is Matvey worried for Russia?" he playfully teased, which caused Matthew to blush and get flustered.

"Well...I um..." Canada stuttered out, which made Russia laugh at the display.

"Da...Matvey is cute when he nervous," he stated, and Matthew humphed at the comment.

Matthew left in a hurry and closed the door on his way. Russia felt more warm feelings in his heart. It did not hurt much, but he was getting use to these tremors. He noticed that if he accepted these feelings, it did not hurt his heart. The jealousy he felt towards Prussia only confirmed his belief.

"Da...Matvey...you melted my heart and make me feel human," he said to himself.

It was official; he did have feelings for the Canadian. The question was, did Matvey return the same feelings? It was Russia's last thought before he exited the room. He was unaware of the person watching him leave.

"Big Brother, you belong to me...This Canada will meet his fate."

Belarus had an evil smile on her pretty face. She still could not figure out how they had managed to get close...she would find out next time. Natalya had witnessed the hugging scene between the arctic nations and she had decided to hide somewhere, hoping not to get caught red-handed.


	9. Canada teaches Russia Lesson four

Canada was setting up his classroom in his living room again. He had an interesting lesson planned for Russia. After the world meeting, his new-found confidence had grown and now people were starting to remember him.

He smiled with happiness. 'If it wasn't for Ivan, I would still be invisible, eh?'

He noticed that he was starting to develop feelings for the Russian. At first he was scared of him, thinking him to be a deranged psycho (it was not his first impression of him, but it was what he concluded from the data he collected from the gossip that spread from the other nations).

Canada brought out his chalkboard and carried the student desk from the basement to set up. He checked his clock to find that it was 5:30 pm.

Canada said, "I still have some time before Ivan shows up. Might as well get his vodka ready..." He entered his kitchen to grab some vodka that he stored on the top shelf.

"Good thing Al did not find this. He would have freaked out," he mused as he placed the vodka bottle on his student's desk.

He was dressed very nicely again, but this time he had a dark red suit that had a white undershirt and red tie to match. The look was completed with black dress shoes. He sat down on his comfy chair and decided to daydream.

"Why do I also feel flustered or embarrassed around him?" he thought as his cheeks tinted red.

"Do I even like him? Or do I even find him attractive?" Canada knew the answer; he was always thinking about Ivan, particularly his face.

He was clearly handsome, even having a baby face charm to it. He closed his eyes and tried to picture his visage. He always admired his eyes; they had the same eye colour, but his was a darker, purer hue. His mind continued and he imagined his smile. He blushed hard at the thought, especially if Ivan's smile was directed at him. He would faint from that alone. Matthew always wanted his smile to be directly at him. The Canadian's cheeks flushed red.

Canada's thought's turned perverse as he started to imagine what he would look like without his coat or his scarf. He had seen his hands, and noticed the deformities on his skin. He did not mind; it made him...sexy. He was starting to wonder if Ivan had more scars on his body.

"Maybe that's why he's always covered, eh? There must be scars on his body and neck." He voiced his thought aloud.

"Bad Matthew," he chided himself as he smacked himself on the head, "You can't think of Ivan like that; he's my friend."

"You like Vodka breath?" Kumajirou said as if it was the statement of the year, with his head tilted to the left cutely.

Canada shrieked at the sudden intrusion.

"Kumjajki! Don't scare me like that."

The polar bear repeated himself teasingly, "Canada likes Vodka breath."

Canada stuttered at first, and quickly denied it. "No, it is not true. Ivan and I are friends." The way he said it, it did not sound convincing enough for the bear, and Kuma walked away.

"Denial is unhealthy. I see how Vodka breath looks at you."

"Kuma, don't make me take away your precious salmon." Kumajirou gasped at the threat.

"That's right, mister, not just any salmon, the good kind, so you better stop while you're ahead." Kumajirou looked defeated and stayed quiet. He walked away and entered his room.

"That's silly; Ivan liking me. I mean, I'm not attractive or special or anything." Canada went back to his desk.

He also had bad experiences when it came to the matters of the heart. First, he had a crush on England, but after witnessing his real self, he closed his heart. He did not want to experience heartbreak again. Then he was attracted to Prussia, but after seeing him with Austria that one time in the meeting room...he shuddered at the memory. He was still upset. He knew he was feeling something towards the Russian.

"I just don't want to get hurt...Maybe it's best we do stay as friends. I mean, Kumaloki isn't right, eh?" Canada sighed as he fiddled with his pen he took from his breast pocket.

He thought about the events of the world meeting yesterday. His thoughts centred on Ukraine and him revealing the secret; he soon felt guilty.

"Oh no! I forgot to tell Ivan about Ukraine! I hope he doesn't kill me for this."

Canada felt so horrible breaking Ivan's trust like that. He hadn't meant to, but Ukraine had been crying and he had wanted it to stop; he hated when someone was in tears. He wanted the person to feel better.

He was getting restless as the clock drew closer to 6:00 pm. He tried to lift his mood and was waiting for someone to knock on the door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Coming," the Canadian said as he rushed towards the door. Ivan stood outside with an angry look on his face: his eyebrows were drawn together and his eyes were closed, but the cute smile was plastered on his face, telling the Canadian that he knew what bad deed he had done. The Canadian let his guest enter, and as he closed the door, he said, "I-Ivan, about Ukraine...I did not mean to-"

"Nyet, do not bother. Katyusha told me everything, but I'm still upset that you revealed our secret," Ivan said as he raised his hand to stop Matvey from speaking. Matthew saw Ivan's expression switch from anger to hurt. He felt his stomach lurch and churn. He wanted Ivan to be happy, not be sad. He felt such like a hoser.

"Ivan, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Look, I got you vodka; it's your favourite brand." Canada waved the vodka bottle at his face, but the Russian did not look at it; he still had a small pout on his face.

"Nyet, do not use bribery to get me to forgive you."

Matthew really wanted to gain his trust back. "Ivan, what would you have done if you were in my shoes? Would you let your sister cry to death?"

Canada and Katyusha were good friends, and he did not want to ruin it if Ivan heard that he treated his sister poorly.

Russia still did not budge, and did not look at Canada's face. Ivan wasn't really upset, just a bit hurt that Canada had broken his promise, but he did understand that it was Katyusha. From experience, he knew that she could be very resourceful when it came to her brother's love life. In addition, he was glad that he had informed Katyusha about their situation; without her support, Canada would have died at the hands of Natalya. He had seen Belarus' attempted knife throw. He had been scared to do something, but Ukraine had taken charge and handled it well.

"Nyet, I would appease her, but you should have thought of another lie." He was feeling much better at hearing Matthew's full logic behind his action. He was about to walk to his desk until he felt arms wrapping around himself.

"Ivan, I'm very sorry. I know you're hurting deep down. I understand that when trust is broken, it hurts."

Canada looked at his face. Russia's eyes shifted away, until Matthew said, "Ivan, please look at me."

Ivan regretfully did, until he stared deep into his blue-purple eyes.

Russia saw sincerity and regret in those deep eyes of his. His face softened at the thought and said, "Da, it hurts a lot, like my heart is bleeding on the inside." Canada hugged him tighter, and Russia blushed.

Matthew noticed and said, "You look c-cute...like that."

Canada was feeling bold and spoke his mind, but soon regretted his mistake. His overactive mind urged his lips to spit out an apology. Russia did not say anything for fear of saying something stupid (his cheeks turned a shade darker, and Canada had his answer). His heart was beating happily at an increased tempo. Ivan was worried at first that Matvey could hear his own heartbeat, and soon felt embarrassed at the idea.

They stayed like this for few moments, until Russia broke the silence. "Matvey." Canada's heart skipped a beat when he heard the Russian inflection of his name.

He stuttered out, "Oui, Ivan?"

Russia paused at first; he was going to ask something personal, and he was afraid of over stepping his boundaries. "Did Matvey get his heart broken before?"

Matthew let go of the hug, a look of pain etched on his delicate face. Russia was about to change the subject until Canada replied, "Yes, I had my heart broken one too many times." He turned his back to Ivan as his eyes began to tear up. Matthew tried his best to not cry. He stayed silent, not knowing what to say.

Russia could read the atmosphere; Matvey was still hurting and clearly did not want to discuss the subject with him (he cursed his damn curiosity). He wanted to know, but he was afraid of pushing him to speak. Ivan wanted Matvey to feel comfortable telling him. He went to the smaller male and gave him a hug from behind.

"Matvey, it is ok. You can tell me when ready, da." He wrapped his arms around him tighter, but not enough to hurt him. Matthew turned red at the contact. Luckily, Ivan could not see his face.

"O-oui," he stuttered out, and he cursed himself for the embarrassment lacing his voice.

Ivan continueed to hug him, until Matthew realized that he had to start his lesson. He was glad that they were progressing in their friendship. Matthew had a small sliver of hope that this could be more. Ivan also noticed that when Matvey gets nervous or embarrassed, he would speak in French. Russia found that cute.

"Um, Ivan, it's best if we start the lesson, eh?" Matthew said, leading to Russia releasing Canada.

He was glad for the pick-me-up. Ivan nodded and went to his desk, with his notebook open to the first page. Canada was in front of him with a piece of chalk and he brought out the list in front of him. Ivan 'tch'ed when he saw the damn list in front of him again.

"Let's begin," Canada announced, and Russia was all ears.

He had learned from past experiences not to make Mr. Williams angry; he did not want his hands sore again.

"First, have you acted nice towards others?" he asked, and Ivan responded.

"Da, I have been nicer to the Baltics; I don't hurt them, but I still threaten them. It is fun to see the fear on their faces; it is hilarious!" He laughed, and Matthew did not look happy.

'At least he's not abusing them. It is progress,' he thought sadly as he cleared his throat. "Mr. Braginsky, we both have different ideas about what 'nice' is. What I consider nice is being kind to others. Say, for example, not using threats. Have you tried asking nicely for things?" Ivan had no answer.

He pouted for few seconds and said, "Da, but it's not as fun when I scare them or, better yet, when I do hurt them...kokolkolkol." He spoke so innocently that Matthew had to step back to regain himself.

"...Um...no let's not do that." He approached Russia and leaned towards his face, their noses almost touching. Russia did not like the look on the Canadian's face; his eyes had an evil glint. Matthew had an idea!

"So, today's lesson: we'll try to develop better small talk!" he explained with a small smile.

Russia was a bit nervous because it was not his area of expertise, except when it came to forming military alliances. Canada discovered that Russia wasn't the world's greatest conversationalist, so if he learned to make better small talk (in addition to not trying to make everyone become one with him), he could make friends easily.

"Mr. Braginski, one problem is that you can't hold a proper conversation. I mean, you usually demand people to become one with Russia, and I'll be honest, no one does..." he said bluntly, and Russia was hurt by the insult.

Russia nodded and said, "Da, Mr. Williams is right. But if I don't give warning, they accuse me other things, like rape, da."

Matthew was getting irritated by his excuses.

"Did I tell you to correct me?" he said confidently, holding his ruler in his hand.

Ivan saw the ruler and cursed mentally at his slip-up.

"Da...no," he said quickly and soon Matthew smirked.

"Good, just as I thought. Mr. Braginski, I want you to write down a list of things to not say in front of others. We'll brainstorm for fifteen minutes and I'll let you practice with Kumajiki afterwards."

Russia nodded and began writing down some ideas.

After fifteen minutes of talking, Russia had made an exhaustive list of things he was prohibited from saying. Matthew explained how each phrase would lead to something bad happening to him.

Russia sighed. "Da, it is for the best."

Russia pouted. "I'm a little sad now." Canada dragged his seat over to sit beside Ivan.

"I know...You won't get this overnight, but try your best to avoid saying these."

Russia looked at the list at the chalkboard. He frowned at the list. 'Da, I do say those all the time...' the Russian thought as he scanned the list. It read:

Russia's forbidden phrase list.

1\. Become one with Mother Russia.

2\. You do as I say because I win, da.

3\. Russia is the best in the world.

4\. Kolkolkolkol

5\. When I think of your stupid face, it makes my blood excited to see your face pounded into dust.

6\. Give me some vodka, or you will meet my pipe, da.

7\. Soon, everyone will become one with me.

8\. I like my ideas the best, because I will kill them.

9\. I love hearing the screams of pain from hurting others.

10\. I will find you and I will kill you in your sleep, da?

11\. Red death

12\. Aren't the most difficult ones the most fun to snap?

13\. I'm Russian, I know everything about_.(What topic you're discussing)

14\. Someone in this room will get hurt real bad.

15\. Who wants to meet my pipe/pick ax/vodka bottle?

16\. It makes me smile when I see fear on your face.

17\. I wonder how many holes you will get when I use my pick ax to make you bleed to death.

18\. The best death for you is slow and painful.

19\. You touch my vodka and someone will lose a hand, or, better yet, you don't live.

20\. So you die now so I can take landmass, da?

21\. I like the feel of blood showering me when I pipe you to death.

22\. I like the thrill when I deliver final kill, da.

23\. Do not make me angry. You do not like to see me angry, da.

24\. The sound of breaking bones is music to my ears.

25\. All will become one with Russia...willingly, or by force, whichever you prefer.

Canada looked at the list. It creeped him out. "See, you say very disturbing things."

Russia looked unfazed, and just continued to smile. "Da, I have a dark sense of humour."

Canada crossed his arms and tapped his left foot repeatedly.

Ivan giggled. "Mr. Williams is mad, da," Russia said teasingly.

Matthew was fiddling with the ruler as he said, "Do I have to punish you for your insolence, Mr. Braginski?"

Ivan started to panic, but his face was as cool as a cucumber. "Da, depends...what are you going to do?"

He was a bit curious; he assumed that he would smack his hands again. It was bad that he couldn't say his favourite lines. He wanted to get back at Canada.

"Do you want to find out?" asked the Canadian before he smugly said, "You will write out 'I will not disrespect Mr. Williams ever again' on the board." He then flipped the chalkboard to the blank side.

Ivan's eye twitched and he said, "Da, it is too easy. I can fill it up in ten minutes."

Canada's smile grew wider. "I did not mention when you'll be done. You will fill it up in the smallest handwriting possible, and when you finish, erase it all and do it again, but this time in Russian."

Ivan's eyes widened at this; this punishment was too cruel. Canada also added, "This will repeat until I tell you to stop." He smiled, and that made Ivan angry.

Ivan growled at this, "How many times to I have to do this? Five, Ten times?"

Canada replied,"Until I tell you stop, so you better start now." Matthew handed the chalk to Ivan, who accepted angrily. He sat on his desk to watch his student perform his duty.

"Mr. Braginski," Mr. Williams said, and Ivan growled, "Da?"

Canada smiled a little. "Will you take off your coat? You don't want to get it ruined by the dust, eh?"

Russia was taken aback at the kind gesture, and shyly removed his coat. Matthew saw that Ivan was wearing a crisp white dress shirt that fit him well for man of his size; it defined his broad shoulders and chest. His eyes travelled lower to see dark grey pant dress that showed his long legs. Matthew wondered why Ivan did not show off his figure, since it was well muscled and fit. He was not fat at all; he was big boned of course, but not obese.

'Maybe he's self-conscious,' he thought as he remembered how Russia felt uncomfortable when he saw his hands.

"Mr. Williams, can I start now?" Ivan said as calmly as he could with Matthew's eyes on his body.

"Oo-h...of course," Matthew stuttered out as he felt embarrassed that he was caught staring.

Russia began to write out the phrase over and over again while Matthew continue to watch. He was careful at first, but lost interest at the task. His eyes wandered over his body again, this time focusing on his strong arms and shoulders in action. 'I wonder if he works out or something. How does he keep up his figure?' The Canadian was daydreaming, and soon stared at his buttocks when Ivan bent over to write at the bottom of the board.

"Bad Matthew," he chastised himself as he smacked himself at the head for checking out his student.

"I'm becoming more like Papa...each and every day."

Ivan stopped writing. "Did you say something?" he asked.

Canada tried to keep his nervousness under control, still feeling embarrassed for looking. "No...carry on..."

Ivan shrugged and continued. This repeated for forty-five minutes straight, with Russia taking a few breaks to massage his hand and Matthew checking out his assets, then later scolding himself for it. Matthew decided to end the punishment and let Ivan finished the last sentence in Russian.

"Mr. Braginski, you may stop now." Ivan smiled and sighed in relief.

Canada walked up to Russia and inspected his hands again. Ivan was not uncomfortable, seeing how his hands were gloved. Matthew removed the gloves to find his hands were red.

"I'm sorry if I went too far. I will get something for your hands," he said. He was about to get some lotion, until Russia grabbed his arm, halting the Canadian.

"Da, not necessary. I was disrespectful. I deserved it," Russia said with a smile.

He smirked. "Matvey is worried again, da." That led to Matthew blushing. "No, I thought I went overboard..."

"Continue lesson, da," he said nicely, and that took Matthew by surprise. "Are you sure?" the Canadian asked.

Russia smiled and replied, "Da." Canada went to pick up Kumajirou. Russia waited patiently for Canada. Ivan wanted to do well, but he had never talked to a polar bear before.

"I hope he is not trouble," he muttered as he saw the bear in front of him. Canada was sitting on his desk. He was ready to watch Ivan in action.

"Who are you?" Kumajirou asked.

Russia replied back, "Da, I'm Russia."

He bend down to Kumajirou's eye level.

Kumajirou said, "Oh yeah, vodka breath. Nice to meet you."

Russia did not like the nickname the bear assigned him. "Nyet, it is not vodka breath. It is Russia."

"Vodka breath," the bear teased.

Russia was getting furious at the bear's insolence. 'How does Matvey handle a bear like him? He needs good beating, da,' he thought darkly as a few "kolkolkolkol"s slipped from his lips.

A voice interrupted his thoughts; Mr. Williams was speaking to him.

"Mr. Braginski, you spoke a forbidden phrase. Try again, and maybe ask him to stop calling you that."

Ivan growled and introduced himself again, and he saw that the polar bear had a cocky grin on his face.

'I do not like this bear...' he thought as he introduced himself.

"Hello, my name is Russia, what is your name?"

"Kumajirou," the polar bear said nonchalantly. Russia wanted to get back at him, and teased back, "Nyet, it is dumb bear."

Kumajirou growled, "It's not!" Russia had a small smile at the little victory.

"Da, you're just a silly bear."

"At least my breath doesn't smell!"

"My breath is fine, your issue is too much fish you eat, da?"

"Fatty!"

"I am not fat, I'm big boned, big difference."

"The difference is like pounds to kilograms."

"Do you want to meet my pipe, da?"

"Your mom would like to meet your pipe."

"I do not understand."

"You think I'm dumb, look at yourself."

Canada saw this and sighed, "Who knew Ivan could be so childish. It is still cute."

The banter continued for ten minutes, and the insults grew so silly that Matthew started to laugh.

"Ahahaha, this is too funny." Canada stood up to get something to drink.

He asked if Kumatoki wanted a snack and nodded.

Ivan muttered under his breath, "He calls me fat and bear is asking for food." Kumajirou grinned again, wounding the Russian's pride.

"I lost to talking bear. I'm sad now."

The polar bear continued to stare at Russia. He did not mean to insult him, after all, he was helping his master to become noticeable. He appreciated the hard work, he just liked teasing others; it was fun!

Russia pouted a little and thought, 'I want to hurt him, but I cannot because Matvey will get mad, and I do not want that. Maybe I'll try being nice, da.'

Ivan peered closer to Kumajirou and said, "Kumajirou...I'm...sorry." The bear was taken aback at the apology. "Call me Russia, and I call you Kumajirou, da."

Kumajirou, at first, did not say anything, but then slowly approached Russia and snuggled at his lap. Russia was curious at the reaction. He did not mind; the bear was cute, even if he was a tease.

"Da, we friends?" he asked as he slowly patted the pet's head.

"Yeah, you're not so bad, you actually do care," Kumajirou said, and that made Russia smile.

"Da."

Kumajirou sniffed Russia and said, "You do smell like vodka, but also something else."

Russia pouted and responded back, "You smell like fish, but something else, too."

"Do you like somebody?" Kumajirou asked innocently; Russia denied quickly, "Nyet, I do not."

Kumajirou knew he was lying, but he wanted to confirm his suspicions of the Russian's feelings for his master.

"I know Canada likes someone." Russia's eyes widened a bit at the new information. He did not want to sound desperate, afraid the bear would use it to his advantage.

"Kumjirou, tell me who is it," he said sweetly, but his voice was laced with an intimidating tone.

Kumajirou reasoned, "Why should I tell you? You don't like Canada."

Ivan got irritated at this and said, "Tell me! I must know! I like Canada a lot."

He cursed at his slip-up, and the bear smiled. "I knew it! You like Canada~!"

Russia kept the bear's mouth shut, making sure Canada had not heard his secret. "I will let go and you do not say anything, da?" Kumajirou nodded, and Ivan released his mouth.

Kumajirou said, "Don't worry, I won't tell, but you must get me something in return."

Ivan sweat-dropped at the deal, but he was at the mercy of a polar bear that could make or break his relationship with Matvey.

He sighed and said, "Da, what is it? Do I have to kill someone?"

Kumajirou said, "No silly, when you visit Canada, bring me some salmon, the good kind. I can tell."

Ivan grumbled, "Da."

Kuamjirou smiled and snuggled closer to Russia. He felt the bear's soft fur and his warmth flowing through his body. He did not say anything, enjoying the embrace, until the bear said, "I like you...You're better than him..."

Ivan was curious and asked, "Kumajirou, who do you mean?"

Kumajirou was half asleep and looked at his face. "You're actually nice to me...fuzzy brows did not like me...mean to Canada."

'Matvey...has been hurt by England? Is that what he was hiding?' he thought carefully, and he was about to ask how, until Canada appeared.

"Oh, sorry for the long wait. I had to find your favourite snack in the freezer, down in the basement. Ohhh." He paused as he saw the sight before him. Ivan was cuddling with Kumataki.

Canada smiled at the cute scene. Kumajirou was half-asleep on Russia's lap on the floor.

"Well, Mr. Braginski, it seems that Kuma took a liking to you. I wonder how you did it, eh?"

Russia answered back with a smile, "Da, Russian secret. You would not know."

Mr. Williams rolled his eyes.

"Hungry," Kumajirou stated and Canada fed his bear. Russia stood up and was about to get ready to leave.

Canada noticed and said, "Russia, before you go, I have two things to say to you."

The Russian looked puzzled and said, "Da"

Canada cleared his throat and said, "Russia, I want you to do a special project for me; it's for these lessons." Ivan was curious, but it gave him the feeling that it was going to be a lot of work.

Ivan waited for Matthew to continue speaking. "I want you to demonstrate your skills in making a friend, so for this project, you will pick one country and try to be friends with he/she. I will give you about three weeks time to do this. I also want you to record your observations in your notebook."

Ivan did not like the sound of this, but agreed. Canada said some words of encouragement. "I would not make you do this if I did not believe you were capable, eh?" Canada also reminded him to take his vodka too.

Russia stuffed the vodka in his coat, and was about to leave, until he remembered something.

"Matvey, Belarus is still staying at my house all of next week. She is still after you. Do you have any back-up plans?" he said with a worried tone. Matthew chuckled.

"I have a few tricks up in my sleeve, eh?" Canada said as he wrote something down on a scrap piece of paper.

Ivan took the paper and saw a number written on it. Ivan looked confused, and asked, "Da, is this Matvey's number?"

Canada smiled. "Yes, it is. I'll call you when I made alternative arrangements, in case Belarus tries to kill me in my sleep," he teasingly joked, which did not amuse Ivan.

"Da, here is my number." He took Matthew's pen from his hands and wrote it on his hand.

Matvey blushed at the gesture; Ivan's handwriting was very smooth and soft, which surprised him. He observed how his right hand was rigid and tense from holding the pen. Was he worried that he was hurting him? Ivan scribbled his number and gave the pen back. Russia was about to leave, but turned his head to face Canada.

"Matvey, do you know your bear's name?" he asked, making Canada feel odd.

"Of course, his name is Kumatoli. Why would you ask me that?"

Russia laughed for a good minute, and Canada felt dumbfounded at the reaction. "Ivan, what is so funny, eh?"

Russia chuckled out, "No wonder bear did not remember your name. Matvey doesn't even know his own bear's name."

Ivan giggled, making Matthew huff, "I do not know what you're talking about. What makes you know my own bear more than I?" he taunted.

Russia stopped his laughter and answered back, "Kumajirou is his name; he told me."

"Maple," the Canadian cursed, and Ivan grinned at his revenge. 'Da, that was good,' the Russian thought, satisfied by today's events. He brought out his vodka bottle and took a congratulatory sip.

Canada heard the door close and let out an angry curse, "Hoser."

Canada then laughed at himself, "Who knew eh? I was wondering if Kumajirou had a short-term memory problem, but it is ironic, eh?" he laughed as he went upstairs to go get ready for bed.

[page break]

A few hours later at Russia's house, Ivan was in a good mood. He was a bit buzzed, but still coherent due to his high tolerance level; he could consume a large amount and still function. Russia assumed that everyone was asleep. He open the door as best as he could without making a lot of noise. He was about to head upstairs when the lights flashed.

"Da, what?" he said, and what he saw terrified him.

"Big Brother, where were you?" Belarus said as she sat on his favourite arm chair, legs crossed with a serious look on her face.

Ivan had no answer, still unable to overcome the shock. Belarus was still waiting, asking again. Russia was trying to come up with a realistic lie. Seconds passed as the awkward tension built.

Russia felt nervous and stuttered out, "Da, I had a meeting with my boss, and afterwards went for drink."

"Big Brother, you met your boss this morning, and you always carry your vodka with you," she said nonchalantly, and Ivan cursed to himself for the mistake.

Ivan lied, "Da, but my boss called me for an urgent meeting, again." He smiled weakly and Belarus did not seem convinced.

"Big Brother, do not lie to me. I hate those who lie," she threatened, and that made Ivan tense.

She approached Ivan, making him step back until his back touched the wall. His heart was beating rapidly, and that was not a good sign. He was panicking, but his face showed discomfort.

"Da, I know," he said, trying his best to placate her. Belarus leaned closer so that Ivan could feel her hot breath on his face.

"Big brother, I trust that you are honest, da." Ivan cringed at Natalya's use of his favourite word.

"Do not worry, everything is fine." Belarus stayed silent and soon walked away. Ivan sighed in relief.

"That was close...too close, da," he muttered.

Ivan hoped that Canada had a plan, because they both knew who was lying. He finished his vodka quickly, believing that it would calm his nerves. He had a bad sense of dread for tomorrow.

[page break]

Meanwhile at Canada's house, Canada was on the phone.

"I hope this is not a bad time, eh?" Canada said as he held the receiver, speaking to his late night guest.

"I was wondering if I could meet you tomorrow. I need your help with something," Matvey asked, and after a few minutes, agreed to some terms.

He smiled. "Thanks so much!" He later apologized.


	10. Russia teaches Canada Lesson four

Canada was sitting, waiting in a cafe in the early morning. The cafe was small but it had delicious pastries and freshly brewed coffee. It wasn't too crowded, but it wasn't empty. There were a few people drinking their hot beverages and a few friendly waiters that did service with a smile. Canada enjoyed coming to this cafe at times when he was stressed out (plus they had this awesome maple cake that was to die for).

Canada sat in the corner of the room, away from the people to not draw any suspicion. He had a small coffee with extra crème, just how he liked it. He was waiting for the person to arrive.

Canada heard the door open and he smiled when he saw that she had arrived. Canada waved at her and gestured at her to sit down in front of him. The sounds of her breasts bouncing drew closer as she sat down.

"Hello Canada," Ukraine greeted the Canadian.

Canada greeted her too and asked how she was.

"I'm good, tak," Ukraine said with a small smile. "It was difficult leaving the house without drawing attention to my brother and Natalya."

Canada understood and nodded. Even though he was forgotten a lot by his family, when they do notice him...they got over-protective of him and wanted to know everything he did.

"I hope it wasn't too much trouble," Canada said as he offered Ukraine a cup of coffee. Ukraine accepted the warm beverage and added some more milk to it...just to her liking.

Matthew commented, "Did you tell Russia and Belarus that you had a meeting with me involving your immigration policy to my people?"

Ukraine replied back sweetly, "Of course...they are informed, tak..." Ukraine added, "I mentioned it to them both at breakfast...They did not question me further, which is good."

Canada sighed and smiled softly. "I don't want to draw any suspicion...but don't worry, our bosses already discussed the issue...we have another issue to discuss."

Canada was glad that Katyusha was helping them. He did not know much about Belarus; the people who knew her well would be her siblings.

"Maybe by understanding her more...I can get a clear picture of what to expect," he thought as he sipped his beverage.

Canada was the first to speak. "Um...Ukraine...what is Belarus like?"

Ukraine stopped her drink halfway upon hearing the boy's question. Her eyes filled with tears and her lips formed a frown.

"She is awful when angered, especially if it deals with Russia..."

Canada expression turned into shock and he went to give Katyusha a Kleenex.

"Thanks..." the woman said, taking the napkin and wiping her eyes. Canada felt a bad feeling in his stomach and a sense of dread pooled there.

"Is Belarus trying to plan to do something to me?" he asked, and further added, "Russia warned me that she is after me...I must know if it's true."

Ukraine lips quivered slightly and her eyes filled with tears. Canada could tell from Katyusha's emotional state that she was troubled by the subject. She took a deep breath and spoke soft enough that only Matthew would hear.

"Yes...I overheard her speaking to herself, saying how she would kill you."

Katyusha paused, trying to calm her nerves. Canada placed his hands gently on hers to urge her to continue. The words stabbed the Canadian's soul but he tried to hide his worry with a solemn face.

Katyusha felt a soft pressure on her hand and smiled at the Canadian's reassuring gesture. This gave her a confidence boost to speak.

"Tak...I saw her sharpening her favourite knife, and she said that she will come to your house tonight."

Canada flinched at the news; his hands gripped his coffee cup hard and his mouth gaped.

"I never realized what I was dealing with..." he thought sadly, "But I will somehow overcome this."

Canada looked straight at Ukraine's face as he said, "Ukraine...did she see you when you wrere eavesdropping?"

Canada began to worry that she had been caught-red handed.

Ukraine replied, "No...I was lucky to leave unnoticed." She gave him a small smile which Matthew mirrored back.

She later went back to sip her drink, which caused Canada to sip his hot beverage.

"Thanks again for the telling me..." Matthew said. "I have to plan something for Belarus, eh?"

Ukraine was taken aback at Canada's optimism; Canada had a small mischievous smile on his face.

"You have a plan?" Ukraine was curious to know.

Canada did not answer, but the woman could see the glint in the Canadian's glasses.

Katyusha did not pester. "I will find out sooner or later," she admitted to herself internally.

It was an uncomfortable silence, except for the sips of coffee seeping through the duo's lips. Ukraine wanted to ask what Canada's favour was. She could see Canada fidgeting nervously with his fingers.

"Canada...is there something you want?" Ukraine asked sweetly, hoping it was something simple.

Canada replied, "I was wondering if I could borrow you house for us to use."

Canada was slightly embarrassed for imposing on the Ukrainian...but if what Russia said was true, his first guess is that she will come to his house to kill him.

After a moment, Ukraine agreed, "Tak...it no problem...may I ask the reason why?"

Canada then explained how Belarus was suspicious and Russia believed Canada to be the target of Natalya.

Ukraine did nod, "I see...I don't mind...but I must ask...how Brother is treating you?"

Canada went flustered at the question and stuttered, "Ummm...he's fine...in fact he is improving, so it's good eh?"

Canada went to sip his now cold coffee. Ukraine smiled at this, feeling joy that Russia was starting to be nice. This reminded her to tell something to Canada.

"Tak...I'm starting to notice too that Russia was becoming nice." She flashed back to the time Russia allow Katyusha to meet Canada.

She told Canada about the time and Canada was bewildered at the memory.

"Of course...I understand why he would do that...I mean if I was in his shoes I would hate that person," Canada explained as he began to fiddle with his empty cup.

Ukraine took notice of her friend's nervousness.

She smiled as she thought, "Canada is so cute...maybe he likes Russia."

She was a female and was an expert on love issues. Hungary was a good friend and had introduced her to her boy-love obsession. She was curious but was open to new things. At first she was grossed out...but slowly through time and a very convincing manga from Japan, she became a part of the dark side that had yaoi (and cookies).

She was now a closet yaoi fan girl (she was proud but wanted to keep that secret until the day she died), and she could tell that Matthew showed signs that he was crushing hard on her brother.

Ukraine asked innocently, "Canada...do you like my brother?"

Canada was in mid-sip and coughed at the question. "Huh...um..what was that?" His overactive mind was thinking of the implications of that question.

Ukraine giggled. "I mean that you really like Russia...tak."

Canada blushed and stuttered out, "Katyusha...we're just good friends...That's all."

The way Canada said it did not convince Ukraine and she was fangirling in the inside.

The Ukrainian woman beamed at the display and she went to hug the Canadian. Canada tried his best not to get squashed by her giant breasts.

"I encourage that you try to make a move on my brother...he is shy about these things."

Canada was shocked at this; Ukraine was trying to set him up with Russia!

Canada murmured, "Um...yeah...I'm not sure if he likes me back."

Ukraine looked at the Canadian's face; she saw doubt in his eyes.

The woman said to reassure Canada, "Do not worry...I had feeling that Russia liked someone...but I think I know who...I'm so happy."

Canada just wanted to run to his soft bed, crawl under the sheets, and never surface again. He was now embarrassed that Katyusha knew about his crush. Was he was so obvious?

After a few gentle pats, Ukraine thanked Canada for the coffee and gave him a last hug before she left. Canada slumped in his seat, his face still red.

A waiter appeared and asked, "The usual, sir?" He was a young man that recognized the customer as a regular.

Matthew groaned out yet he tried his best to be polite, "Yes please...Can you add extra maple syrup on top?"

The waiter nodded and went to fetch the Canadian's cake.

"Maple Leaf," the Canadian sighed as he waited for his cake. He could always go back home to do some work.

At Russia's house

Russia was hiding in the Baltics' room. Ever since Belarus's midnight chat, she had been constantly stalking the Russian wherever he went. He was hiding under the bed and was trembling in fear. He had managed to get rid of Natalya for a while by making up some excuse to use the rest room. Russia was lucky that she would not follow him into the restroom–Belarus had more decency than that! The Baltics were clever enough not to anger the Slavic woman in fear of being stabbed to death.

The Baltics were beginning to warm up to Russia. Lithuania was the first to observe Russia's change of heart, followed by Latvia. Estonia was still skeptical of Russia and did not believe that a few kind words would change his opinion of him due to the lack of violent attacks and threats.

Lithuania was preparing lunch in the kitchen and Latvia was assisting him. They enjoyed cooking together and they soon started to talk about Russia.

"Raivis...do you think Russia is being nice?" Toris asked his youngest sibling as he was stirring the soup.

Latvia replied as he cut up some vegetables, "I think so...I mean he did stop hitting us..." He spoke softly.

Toris thought back to another time he had encountered Russia.

"You know, it reminded me of one time I forgot to replace the linen from his bed...Mr. Russia did not hit me with his pipe."

Lithuania smiled and stopped stirring his soup to reach for the salt in the upper cupboard. Latvia had an incredulous look on his face and added the chopped veggies into the hot soup. He later went to the sink to wash the dirty dishes.

"I started to notice that Mr. Russia stopped saying creepy things."

Toris also had a surprised look on his face, which encouraged Latvia to continue speaking.

"This one time...as I went to fetch his shoes to polish them, only to find out they were the wrong pair...he did not threaten me for my mistake."

Lithuania had a curious look on his face. He did not recall Russia saying his infamous phrases. "I did not notice at all...maybe Eduard witnessed it..."

He added a dash of salt to the soup and went to taste it. He made a small smile at another well-made dish for everyone to enjoy.

Latvia was done with his chore and decided to see Eduard.

"Why don't we ask...I mean...we can take a short break and come back to clean the rest of the kitchen," Latvia cajoled his elder brother. Toris looked hesitant, afraid of getting in trouble, but he decided to go with Raivis's idea. They both left to look for Estonia.

Meanwhile at the second floor, Estonia entered his room to go online to check his email until he noticed Russia hiding under his bed. "Mr. Russia...what are you doing?"

Russia answered sharply, "It is not of your concern, Estonia." He was still crouched down and was still whimpering.

Estonia could guess that Belarus was looking for the Russian. He guessed that Ivan was hiding.

He could have minded his own business and leave his master in that sad condition, but an idea started to form and he wanted to know Russia's intentions.

"Russia...why are you suddenly acting nice to us?" he said as he approach the Russia carefully.

Russia had a confused look on his face. "Da...I do not understand."

He tried to act dumb hoping that Estonia would drop the subject. The male did not fall for the act and asked again...a bit peeved, but it did not show much on his face.

"Mr. Russia...all of us noticed you aren't hitting or threatening us...which surprised us." He adjusted his glasses, making sure they did not fall on his face.

Russia still looked terrified but he tried to attain his cool demeanour.

"Da...It get boring to always hit you...you guys are doing good job...no need, " he explained lamely, and Estonia did not believe it.

He sighed, a bit disappointed that his would not get his answer. He was about to head for his computer when he heard a voice.

"Big Brother...where are you...it doesn't take five minutes to use the restroom."

Russia face paled when he heard his sister's voice. He whimpered and his eyes stared at Estonia.

"Estonia...I order you to get rid of Belarus."

Estonia looked indignant at the request. He also did not want to oppose Belarus. Well, it wasn't going to be pretty. He did have to admit that Belarus was much scarier than Russia. He gulped at the tough situation he was in. Belarus's voice boomed and Russia trembled, which gave Estonia an idea.

He had a smirk on his face that indicated he had a plan, and his glasses twinkled. "Russia, I can help you...but it will cost you."

Russia was angry at the display.

He smiled his creepy trademark smile. "Estonia...do as I say, da?"

At the moment, Estonia would have stopped, but he knew the words were empty and his voice did not sound as threatening.

"Russia...I don't think you have a say because of your situation."

Russia heard the footsteps draw closer to Estonia's door. Eduard had the chance to get back at the Russian for all the cruelty he had inflicted on him and his brothers. He was not going to waste this. Russia glared at him, but it not have the full effect as he heard the footstep approach Estonia's door.

"Russia, you have to promise to never hurt or threaten me and my other two siblings again." Estonia smirked, and Russia's anger boiled at his insolence.

"Estonia...be nice to Mother Russia," Ivan growled, and Estonia shook his head.

"Big Brother are you there?" Natalya's voice rang out, and Ivan flinched. Estonia smirked; it would be only a matter of seconds until the Russian would cave in.

Russia really wanted to murder Eduard so badly at that moment. Most nations would be suicidal to try to take advantage of Mother Russia; all those who tried failed and met their demise. He could have threatened to hurt Latvia to make Estonia stop...but he remembered his promise to Matthew. His face was conflicted alongside his growing fear as time was running out. He stared straight at Estonia, making the Baltic state flinch involuntarily.

"Da..." the Russian growled, and this surprised the Estonian.

"Is it possible that Lithuania and Latvia were correct about Russia? Is he being nice for real?" he mused as he pushed his luck and demanded one more thing.

"I won't do anything until you agree to get us some high speed internet as well...not DSL...cable."

Russia's eyes widened slightly and soon narrowed.

"You are pushing your luck, da..." He giggled, but Estonia could tell that it was his 'I'm going to murder you" voice.

He gulped and he cursed himself for his greed. He quickly went to open the door just enough for Belarus to see the male.

Belarus did not show any emotion and coldly asked, "Estonia...have you seen Big Brother?"

Estonia did not answer, since he was busy thinking of an excuse to save Russia. Belarus was getting irritated at the the lack of an answer from the Baltic state so she asked again, this time more intimidating.

"Where is Big Brother?" She glared and that made Estonia nervous.

"I-I t-think he went to meet his boss..." he said hoping that Natalya would buy it.

She assumed he heard his voice in his room. She stared at him for a few seconds, which made Eduard feel extremely uncomfortable. She later walked away; Estonia assumed that she was headed towards his boss's office.

He closed the door and he as he turned he was facing Russia. After seeing a job well done, Russia returned back to normal and had a sadistic smile on his face. Estonia was not regretting his decision. He was waiting for the attack to come. He closed his eyes and soon felt nothing.

Russia smiled and leaned closer to the geek. He said menacingly, "Estonia...you were being bad...you have to get punished, da?"

Estonia was backed against the wall and his heart was beating rapidly.

Russia was about to act on his words when he heard the door open. A voice spoke which interrupted the Russian's evil thoughts.

"Estonia! I was looking everywhere for you...I wanted to ask about–Russia!" Lithuania stopped speaking at the sight of his master.

Latvia started to shake like a leaf in the wind at the sight of Russia's smile.

"Lithuania...Latvia...I did not expect you should you be done doing chores," Ivan said sweetly, but the Baltics could feel the threatening undertone.

Lithuania gulped and answered, "Yes...Mr. Russia...we are done cleaning and cooking the food...we w-wanted to speak to Estonia for a while."

Lithuania was still a bit shocked at the scene while Latvia nodded, still trembling in fear, to reassure Russia.

Russia would have threatened them to leave and go back to their duties, but instead he giggled. "Keep it short...you have to clean the living room too."

Estonia was now convinced that Russia's intentions were genuine. Russia started to walk away until he turned his head to glare (which was masked by a happy face) at Estonia.

Estonia flinched at the stare and 'eeped' at Russia's intimidating aura flowing through his large body.

"Da...Estonia...you and your brothers are involved now...I make sure of it."

The door slammed. Eduard sighed in relief, thankful for his sibling's appearance during the tense situation. Lithuania looked confused and scared at Russia's words. Latvia copied his elder's brother's face, wondering what Mr. Russia meant.

"Eduard...what does he mean we are involved?" he asked the geek, and Estonia had an apologetic look on his face.

"Well...let's say...we are a now a part of Russia's problem," he explained lamely, and that made Latvia shake more, already dreading the future. Toris had an incredulous look on his face that screamed 'Why did you do this!" Eduard rubbed his temples in frustration.

He cursed internally, "Damn...I did not expect the tables to be turned against us."

Estonia cursed at his bravado. "Was the high-speed internet really worth it?" he thought darkly.

He went back to his computer to find some internet providers half-heartedly.

Meanwhile in Canada's household

Canada arrived home to his place from the cafe. He was feeling much better after eating his favourite dessert. Kumajirou awoke to his sound of his master.

He moaned, "Hungry!" He looked at his master and Canada went to pat his head.

"Kumajirou...did you have a nice nap?" The polar bear's head titled cutely at his name being called.

"Canada...remembers my name."

Matthew smiled. "Of course I remembered."

Russia was the one who had corrected him. At the thought, Canada's cheeks were tinted pink and Kumajirou took notice of his master's embarrassed state.

"Vodka breath is nice...I like him," Kumajirou said as he snuggled closer to his owner.

Canada beamed at how cute his pet bear was acting. He agreed to feed his hungry bear. Kumajirou was on the floor waiting.

Canada appeared after a few minutes from the kitchen and had some salmon bits for his bear to munch on. Kumajirou had a smile on his face and happily munched on his favourite snack. Canada decided to head to his study upstairs to get some nation work to be completed.

"Oh...I must remember to call Ivan to tell him about the change of location," he said to himself with a look of determination. He went upstairs and entered the study to find a large stack of Manila files waiting to be read and signed.

"Maple...Leaf," he said with a depressed sigh, "this will take a while." He pulled up his sleeves and marched towards his desk.

After an hour of reading, signing and making a few calls to his people, Canada smiled at a job well done.

"Finally..." He leaned back into his comfy chair and lifted his feet onto the desk. He checked the time to see it was 2 o'clock. He thought it would be a good time to call Russia.

He was nervous...he never called anyone that wasn't his family or his people. He hoped he did not sound too awkward on the phone. He picked up the receiver and dialled his number. His nervousness built as he heard the dial tone.

"Privet...This is Russia."

Canada felt relieved that Ivan answered the phone. He did also involuntarily blush at his baritone thick-accented voice. It sounded so nice...just listening to his voice.

"Hello Russia...This is Canada," Canada said nervously.

After a moment, Russia said, "Matvey...Privet...how are you?"

"I'm fine, Ivan...how are you?" Russia sighed and that Canada felt sympathetic for his friend.

"Not so good...but better that Matvey called!" He giggled in joy, and Matthew blushed at the comment.

"Thank god...Russia cannot see me like this," he mused as he cleared his throat.

"Russia...did it have something to do with Belarus?" Matthew could guess it had something to do with it her.

Russia did a small cry, "Yes...It was unpleasant experience..."

Matthew felt like cuddling him like a child who had a bad dream.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Matthew was concerned for the Russian.

Russia quickly answered back, since he did want to relive those scary memories.

"Nyet...do not worry, I manage to get rid of her." His tone was serious with a hint of a dark edge to it.

Matthew tensed slightly at the double meaning of what he said."Oh no! Did he finally snap and killed her?" he thought, and Russia noticed Matvey's silence.

"Matvey...do not worry, I did not kill her, da." Matthew sighed in relief, and soon he was happy to hear that Ivan was still suppressing his violent urges. He then said, "Oh...the reason I called was to tell you to go to Ukraine's house...I will meet you there for the lesson, ok?" Russia did not say anything and that made Canada worry.

Russia then agreed, "Da...It no problem...I think it's best. Belarus can be very persistent." Canada then hummed in understanding.

"Do you know where Belarus is?" Canada asked, and Russia cursed in Russian.

"I remember she went to see my boss...I have to make a phone call to gives my boss warning."

Matthew did not say anything, but already felt sorry for his friend.

"I see...I want you to arrive at Ukraine's house an hour early...I will meet you soon but I must take care of some things," Canada explained.

Russia agreed. "Why do I have to be there early?"

Canada smiled. "You'll see...I have a plan...I have a feeling that Belarus will come after me so I have to be prepared, eh?"

Russia was worried about Canada's safety.

"Belarus is dangerous! Matvey will get killed!" he thought as he held the receiver tighter, though Canada could not tell.

"Comrade...I don't think it wise to confront Belarus...I worry, da."

Canada squeaked at the concern, but he managed to spit out, "Ivan...don't worry...I'm a lot tougher then you think. Is Belarus going to follow you all day?"

"Nyet...she knows my schedule sadly. She knows I have a meeting at five with my boss before I see you at six...She does not know that," the Russian responded.

Canada replied, "I see...Make sure you book your meeting with your boss for two hours and let her know..."

Russia at first did not understand. "Da...I see what I can do."

Canada just hoped that his plan would work. "Goodbye, Ivan."

"Goodbye, Matvey."

Canada hung up the phone and sighed. "I hope that he answers his phone," he muttered as he went to dial his number.

A few hours later, Canada was waiting for his guest to arrive. It was five; Canada was tapping his foot impatiently.

"Maybe I should have picked someone else to establish my alibi...If Belarus comes and sees me with him, then she will have to back out. Or I could be wrong and Belarus will kill me and nobody will have to know," the Canadian thought, already having doubts about his plan.

Canada heard the knock on the door and he went to open it only to find his brother.

"Hey Bro! I went to the store and got us a wicked video game for us to play!" he cheered as he held the game in air, waving it around. Canada sighed in relief and let his brother inside.

"I thought it will be great to spend some time together, eh?" Matthew said as he went to get some snacks for his ever-hungry brother.

"I'm sorry Al...But I have to make you a scapegoat...You must understand, seeing as you are an asshole to the rest of the world," he thought sadistically.

Alfred had already set up the game and had his 'game face' on.

They played together for forty-five minutes...after a few cheers and curses spluttered out by both brothers. Canada reminded himself to go do something.

"Merde! I forgot to get Kumajirou his fish...I must run to the store...Al, would you do me a favour and watch my house?"

Alfred was too busy playing that he agreed, "Ya...ya...I'm the hero! No problem."

Canada smiled. "Thanks...you're such a good brother!"

He quickly got dressed and went to pick up Kumajirou. He did not want Belarus to come and hurt his bear. At times he was glad that he was invisible. It could be handy when he needed to sneak out of meetings; since nobody noticed him there, they would assume he was present.

Once America was distracted enough, he slipped away and went to Ukraine's house.

Meanwhile at Ukraine's house

Russia was waiting for Canada to arrive. He was located in the living room and his sister was sitting on the couch. The room was silent. They wanted to talk to each other, but they didn't know how to start. The silence was awkward for both siblings. They did manage to meet eyes, and soon a voice broke out of their inner monologue.

"Sestra...thank you," Ivan said shyly, and that made Ukraine smile.

"No problem. I was wondering how you managed to get rid of Natalya..."

Russia had to answer that. "I made excuse that I was seeing my boss...she was insistent to come with me, but I had to use politics to get her to back off...like it could ruin country relationships or something."

Ukraine was glad that Ivan was getting better at fending off of her younger sibling. Katyusha never had the chance to spend quality time with her brother due to Natalya's jealousy (plus her boss banned her from seeing Russia). She felt distant from him and vice-versa. Ivan felt uncomfortable in the inside but his face always lied to her, full of smiles.

"Russia...It's been a while since we last chat, tak."

Russia looked solemn and nodded. "Da...It's been too long...how are you?"

"I'm fine...much better...but I still have lower back pain. How are you?" she said as he rubbed her lower back.

Ivan felt her pain and replied, "I am good."

"I hope that Matvey...is kind to you, yes?" she asked sweetly and she noticed that Russia's cheeks were tinted pink at the mention of Matthew.

She beamed at the display and noticed how Russia was becoming warmer and more open around others.

"Matvey is good...been keeping me company," he said as he played with his scarf.

Her brother was so cute at times! Ukraine could tell that Ivan really did like Canada. The question now remained, who would make the first move?

"I hope you don't lose Matvey...he such a sweet boy." Ukraine went to hug her brother and Russia shyly hugged back.

"At least show him how you feel...If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

Russia's eyes widen and he did a genuine smile, "Da...I will, Sestra."

Ivan felt calm and joy from bonding with his sister. Ukraine released her arms and was heading out. Russia looked sad; she appeared to want to leave quickly.

Ukraine noticed and reassured him, "Do not worry...I have to go to the store and get some fresh milk. I'll be back later."

Russia said goodbye. Katyusha left and shut the door behind her.

After a few minutes of walking, she encountered Canada.

"Canada! Hi!" She waved at him.

Canada noticed and greeted him as well. Both nations stopped walking to face each other.

"Do not worry...Russia is waiting," Ukraine said.

"Thanks, Ukraine..." Canada smiled back, carrying Kumajirou.

Both parties continued on their way.

Russia noticed the door open to see Canada enter. "Matvey!" he said as he stood up and walked towards the Canadian.

Matthew smiled back. His grin widened much more which made Russia say, "Matvey is happy about something," with a look of curiosity twinkling in his mauve eyes.

Canada chuckled. "Yes...today Alfred will get his 'just desserts'."

Russia was baffled at Canada's sinister demeanour. "The hoser always asked for favours, eh?"

He quickly placed Kumajirou down and massaged his shoulders.

Russia wondered at the Canadian's words, but for now he was glad that Natalya had not hurt his friend. Canada smiled at Russia and Russia looked back at him; his eyes reflected his happiness.

"We start lesson..." Russia said and led Matthew to the living room. Canada was not nervous at all and was ready for anything Russia threw at him. Ivan could feel his energy; he was glad that Canada was improving.

He did a small sad smile as he thought sadly, "Too bad these lessons will be over soon."

"The next lesson is to be intimidating..." Russia said as he brought out his favourite pipe. Canada was surprised to see Russia with his weapon.

"Ivan...could you be more specific?" Russia had a cute look of confusion on his face and then giggled.

"Da...I mean that you have to appear scary to be taken seriously, and we later do some threats."

Canada could understand the first part...but why the threats?

Canada's face scrunched.,"Um...but why do I need to threaten people...I want to be noticed, not scare them away."

Russia then smiled and ruffled Matvey's hair. The smaller male felt shivers down his spine from the hair being pulled down.

"Because...some people I know won't take 'no' for answer...Better to be on guard, so people take you seriously."

Canada finally understood and nodded his head, which made Russia's hand accidentally touch his curl.

A small moan escaped his lips and Russia heard.

"Oh no! I hope he did not hear that!" Matthew cursed as he shut his mouth with both hands in case another sound came out.

Russia looked curious at Matvey. At first he wondered if Matthew was okay...but seeing his face flushed and his eyes half-lidded, he decided to do that again. A gloved hand went and found the curl. Canada tried his best to suppress a moan until Russia did a gentle tug.

"R-Russia...s-stop that," Matthew stuttered out as he tried to cover up another wanton sound that escaped his lips.

Russia did stop, but he did not release his curl. The sounds Ivan heard made Ivan's body react; his hormones started to get aroused. He liked hearing Matvey sounding like that...it was so cute. Confusion started to cloud Ivan's mind, but still had his smile on his face.

"This curl reminds me of the Italies' curls...Germany talked it about being...Is that what I think it is?" Ivan thought.

"Perhaps I play with it to find out, da?" The Russian's smile widened, and Matthew could sense that he was up to no good.

"At least he is stopped tugging it..." Canada thought thankfully.

"Now if he could let go...I might recover after this," he thought hopefully as he looked at Ivan's deep purple eyes.

Canada's blush deepened and he maintained his gaze. He did enjoy the feelings deep inside, but he had stopped...He did not know what would happen if he continued to play with his erogenous zone. His body felt hot as Russia eyed him hungrily. Russia was still curious about what this curl was doing to the poor boy. He did one hard pull that made a loud moan erupt from Matthew.

Russia finally released the curl. After hearing those moans, the air around him felt constricted. He still had a blank face, but his body was reacting differently...more on instinct. He restrained himself for the time being. Matthew was glad that the stimulation was over...yet a part of him did want it to continue.

"I think...Germany may be right about it...keep it to myself, da," he thought

"Um...so what am I suppose to do again?" the Canadian coughed out, wishing that Ivan would forget the whole scene. Russia did a small smile that told Matthew that he won't forget that detail.

Russia handed his pipe to Canada, which he shyly accepted, holding it with both hands.

"You will try to be scary, and don't forget to glare..." Canada realized that his pipe was quite large and heavy. If he looked closer he could see the blood stains imprinted there.

Russia did not like anyone touching his things...but it was for the sake of Canada's lesson, so he pushed his discomfort aside.

He looked at the smaller boy and was waiting for him to begin. Canada tried to be serious and he did glare, but he was still unsure of what to do with Russia's pipe.

"Hey there...I'm Canada." It was sad; his face meant business, but his posture was slouched and his voice was too soft.

Russia shook his head. "Da...Try to pretend to be angry at something or someone..."

He leaned closer to Canada's personal space, which made Canada a bit flustered. Russia could tell he was unsure of what to do, so he had another idea.

His closed eyed smile made Canada feel a chill down his spine. He felt an evil intention rise from the Russian.

Ivan grabbed his shoulders and leaned just close enough to whisper an empty threat which made Russia smile. "If you do not tell me to back off...you will become one with Mother Russia..."

Canada gasped, "You wouldn't dare...I-Ivan..." He gulped, feeling his fear rise in his stomach. "You wouldn't do that to your own friend...eh?"

Canada assumed he was joking, and that it was another attempt to get him worked up.

"Wait, don't tell me his serious?..." Matthew realized as he noticed Russia's silence and the grin on his face.

"I do not wish to do this...but it's for his own good," Russia thought as he tried to capture the younger male in his arms. Canada tried his best to get himself freed.

Canada's reaction was to beg and plead. Russia's last words hit him hard in the face. Soon his eyebrows lowered dangerously and his face contorted in mock disgust. Ivan saw the Canadian's reaction. He still had to play the role, so he continued.

"Let go...I won't be one with you!" he yelled angrily.

Canada's voice was raised, which made Russia grip him tighter. "Impressive...he got angry...that is good," he mused as his hands trailed lower, not quite reaching Canada's vital regions.

The action was enough to scare Matthew and he squirmed. Russia could tell the boy was getting scared, judging by his panicked state; his eyes closed and his lips trembled.

"What happen to the anger?" he asked himself.

"He was angry a second ago...did he really think?" Ivan growled in frustration.

He could admit that this was not his best idea...He did not want Matthew to be scared of him...a pang of guilt attacked his heart and he released his hold.

He decided to improvise. "If he thinks I was serious I could do something else."

He opens his coat to grab out a piece of paper and a pencil. Canada's panic lessened as he turned to face Ivan. His overactive mind fuelled his imagination of the horrible implications of his "becoming one with Mother Russia' claim.

"Matvey...I–" Russia was interrupted when he heard a raised voice.

"IVAN!..What was that for? You scared me to death!..Maple," he yelled.

Matthew was furious! His eyes narrowed and his eyebrows lowered. Ivan was taken aback at the Canadian's reaction, but he stood tall.

"I did not plan on doing what you thinking of." Ivan grinned, which made Matthew raised one eyebrow.

"What were you actually planning?" he asked with caution, his eyes on the Russian and his hands gripping the pipe confidently.

Russia closed his eyes and smiled. "Da...You were going to become one with me with this!" He giggled as he raised the piece of paper and pencil.

Matthew responded with a puzzled look on his face, "Ehhh?...Wait, what did you mean 'by becoming one with me'?"

Russia pouted and said with a confusing tone, "I mean that you sign contract stating you give landmass to me and live in my house..."

Canada smacked his forehead. "Of course this is the guy that did not get the phrase 'friends with benefits'...Well, I blame my imagination for this.," he thought amusedly.

Canada felt embarrassed and his cheeks tinted pink at the now awkward situation.

Russia was still confused and asked cutely, "Da...You were thinking of something else..." He approached Canada and went to ruffle his hair again.

"Oh no you won't, you hoser! Not if I have anything to do about this!" His thoughts screamed at him to do something.

He saw an opening. He grabbed the pink scarf and Ivan went frozen.

Canada smiled slightly. "Ivan, you should back off...or the scarf..." He gave it a small tug and Ivan was panicking in the inside, but his face lacked emotions.

"Oh..what will you do?" Ivan asked. His gut was itching to know what.

Canada gave him a small grin. "You don't want to know," he said, and he poked the pipe towards the scarf.

Canada cheered in his mind when he saw Ivan's eyes filled with fear.

"Not the scarf! Damn..." he cursed mentally.

He stopped immediately and slowly backed away. "I think I should not have given my pipe..."

But he did smile in joy that Canada had succeeded.

Matthew heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Maple...I hope he did not take me seriously."

He saw Ivan had his trademark smile, but he could feel that he was being threatened.

"I feel bad for getting his scarf involved," he admitted to himself. Matthew slowly approached him, still carrying the pipe in his right hand.

"Ivan...I was bluffing about the scarf." The Canadian's voice was calm and gentle.

Ivan did not say anything but held his scarf protectively. Canada felt terrible...he knew how much the scarf meant to the Russian.

He tried to comfort him. "Russia...I'm really sorry–Eepp!" He stopped speaking when he felt gloved hands hold his face, and he saw Ivan stare at him hard.

"Do not touch scarf again! Or else...!" He laughed the last part, but Canada felt the ice cold seriousness.

"Okay...!"

Ivan then leaned closer, so that Canada could feel his hot breath his face. Canada flushed red at the proximity.

Ivan whispered in his right ear, "Matvey...here's a tip...don't tell person that you are bluffing."

Ivan's voice send shivers down Canada's spine, which caused Canada to drop the pipe.

"O-okay..." he stuttered out. "I let my guard down," he thought as he felt arms hold him in an embrace.

"Do not worry...I think you did good," Ivan said.

Canada's arms slowly hugged back shyly. "Thanks..."

The embrace lasted a few moments until a voice spoke.

"Hungry!" Kumajirou said, awake from his nap.

Canada released Russia quickly, feeling embarrassed for being caught in an intimate moment.

"Kumajirou...how long were you there?" Ivan released the hug and soon went to grab his pipe from the floor. He dusted it off with care and stuffed it back into his coat.

"Long enough...so feed me!" the polar bear replied.

Canada sighed. "Ok..." He had an apologetic look on his face and Ivan nodded back.

"Do not worry...feed bear," Ivan said as he went to guzzle down his vodka.

Matthew reached into a pocket to get some salmon bits for his arctic pet.

Meanwhile at Canada's house

"Whoot! I win!" Alfred cheered again as he finished another round.

He was still playing his video game, in the same spot for nearly an hour. He was hungry and decided to pull out a Big Mac from his bomber jacket. Alfred had a huge smile on his face when he saw his delicious creation.

"Dude...I'm totally awesome!" Alfred complimented himself as he paused the game to take a huge bite of his burger.

"Mmmm...I'm loving it!" He munched loudly and open-mouthed, which causeed him to stain his bomber jacket and tee shirt.

"Damn...this is the third time today..." he cursed as he quickly finished his food. He could have went back to finish his game, but decided against it.

"Damn...I should change...don't want to look like a slob," he thought as he removed his coat and shirt.

"Mattie wouldn't mind me borrowing his clothes...yeah," Alfred assumed as he went to his brother's closet to grab a sweater. Alfred looked at himself in the mirror,

"Dude...I can make his plain clothes look awesome!" The American laughed aloud, unaware that his brother had not come back. He went back to the living room to finish up one more round until he heard a knock on the door.

"Wonder who it is...?" Alfred muttered to himself as he went to open the door.

Alfred was shocked at the sight. Belarus had arrived at his brother's house with a sharp knife pointed directly at his face; this made Alfred a bit nervous.

"Can I help you?" he asked while trying to lean away from the knife.

"You can help. By staying away from my Big Brother you maple-loving rat!' she yelled as Natalya went to strike. Alfred dodged quickly enough for her strike to miss, but he fell on his behind.

"Wait!...I'm America!" he yelled out, still not registering why Belarus had come to Canada's house. Belarus was getting irritated at America's answer. Her eyebrows furrowed in anger, making her pretty face look evil. Alfred gulped at his luck. "Dude...what's her problem?" he thought to himself as he tried to get himself up, only to find Belarus jump on the American, leaving no chance for escape.

"Do not lie to me...you filthy tree hugger!" The Slavic woman's eyes narrowed dangerously and that made Alfred flinched.

"Dudette...I don't know who or what you're talking about...but could you get off?" Alfred rambled on nervously as the knife edged closer to his face.

Natalya did not answer and she smiled. "What I'm going to do with you..."

Alfred did not like that look. "Damn commie sister's going psycho for no reason at all!" he cursed mentally as he tried to wiggle his way out.

He was raised to never hit a woman. "Listen...why we don't stop this and do something else! I have an awesome video game we could play...I'lllet you use the new controller!" He smiled and that made Belarus growl.

"Nyet...I have better idea...what if I kill you and we can be happy!" Alfred could feel the knife press close to his neck, and that made America begin to sweat nervously.

Belarus loved the scene and how panicked 'Canada's' face was.

"Does he think he could fool me by making me think he was America...He does not even have the stupid American jacket on!"

Belarus convinced herself that 'Canada' was lying and it was enough drive to deliver the final blow.

Meanwhile at Ukraine's house

After Canada was done feeding his bear, and Ivan had finished his vodka, Canada was the first to speak. "Ivan...am I done for today?" he asked curiously. Russia replied, "Da...You have done your objective so you are free to go."

Matthew was getting ready to leave until he reminded himself, "Oh...I forgot to give you the vodka...I'm so sorry."

He had apologetic look on his face. Ivan saw it and smiled. "Do not worry...I will take it next time."

Ivan went to Matthew and gazed at him, placing his hand on the Canadian's shoulder. "I wanted to know why Canada talked about Alfred?"

Canada at first looked confused, but it later hit him that he mentioned Alfred and 'pay-back'.

"Yes...remember that Belarus was after me." Ivan felt his heart sink at hearing those awful words.

"Da...What happen?" Ivan was worried and Canada smiled.

"Well...Ukraine told me that she planned to come to my house tonight to kill me." Canada said it nonchalantly and that made Ivan uneasy. Matthew saw Ivan's pained look; his eyebrows lowered and his lips did a small pout.

"I formed a plan that involved a certain person to be in my place when she arrived." The Canadian's lips transformed into a devilish smirk and that Ivan was surprised. It took a while for Ivan to put the pieces together.

"Wait...does he mean America? That is..." The sudden realization swept his mind away and a hearty laughed filled the room.

"That is priceless...It is too good Comrade!" Ivan laughed for a few minutes. Canada had to follow and chuckled alongside the Russian.

"Matvey...I may be cruel in eyes of others...but I'm not evil." Ivan smiled as he giggled a few more times.

"What you did was evil...".

Canada admitted shamefully, "It was...but Alfred deserved it..." He pouted cutely.

Ivan could see how Canada's face glowed in happiness, his eyes twinkled in mirth and he smiled for his accomplishment.

Ivan had a growing concern. "Matvey...you don't think America is dead by now?"

Canada did wonder at first. He titled his head slightly to the left, followed by a small 'mmm' that passed his lips.

"Maybe...a few hours ago," he joked and that Ivan felt a chill ghost through his body.

He was nervous and his discomfort evident on his face. Matthew giggled. "I was teasing, Ivan." He continued, looking at Ivan's face,"I know my brother won't get himself killed...but at least Belarus will be out of our hair, no?"

Russia was impressed at Canada's ingenuity and he said, "This is good...I worry that America will be dead and people would blame me for it." Canada nodded in understanding.

"Even though we don't get along...I do not wish death on other, even on my most hated enemy." Ivan's lips revealed his heart, and Canada felt his heart strings tugged at Ivan's new-found mercy.

"Maybe...Ivan is not such a bad guy...maybe misunderstood," the Canadian realized as he subconsciously walked towards the Russian and looked at his face.

Ivan did not mind Canada's proximity to him; he could feel Canada's warmth ebbing through his rigid, cold body. His cheeks tinted pink, remembering how he let his sweet and sensitive side out. Ivan was a guarded person; he felt compelled to keep his true self hidden, but around Matvey he could be more open.

They continued to stare into each other's eyes until Kumajirou said, "I'm tired...want to go home."

Both males snapped back to reality and Canada stuttered out, "Okay."

Ivan did not say anything, choosing instead to snuggle his scarf closer to his face. Matthew decided to make a call to Alfred to see if he was okay while Kumajirou went to Ivan.

"Russia...where is my salmon?" The bear raised his head to look at the Russian's face.

Ivan did his usual smile. "I did not forget...here." He brought the salmon out of his coat.

The polar bear was happy munching on it. "Thanks."

The polar bear had his doubts that Russia would fulfill his promise, and he was not perfectly sure that Ivan was the right guy for his master.

The bear was munching and Ivan did look at the scene.

"The bear is cute..." He knelt down to gently pat the bear. Kumajirou did not mind and continued eating.

Matthew was tapping his foot, trying to reach his brother's cell.

He only heard his brother's voicemail. "Oh no...I hope that Alfred's okay..." Guilt washed over the arctic nation and he quickly turned to face Russia.

The Russian could see the worried look on the younger male's face.

"Matvey...are you okay?" Ivan asked with a straight face.

"I have to leave...Al not answering his phone...I have to see if he is okay." Matthew was getting ready to leave and rushed to pick up his bear, unaware of Kumajirou new-found snack.

Ivan smiled. "Matvey is cute when worry...I think the body won't be found thought...it is cut up into tiny pieces by now dumped into a river, da." His eyes were closed.

Matthew's mind replayed the scenario in his head.

"Ivan!" he whined, and decided to leave, hoping that his brother is okay.

Russia muttered to himself while his face had a small genuine smile, "Matvey...you surprise me every time...too bad lessons will end"


	11. Canada teaches Russia Lesson five

Canada opened the door to his house so fast that the bang echoed in the silent house. His heart was racing and worry was etched on his face. Dreadful thoughts pooled in Matthew's overactive mind as he imagined the worst case scenario of his dear brother.

"ALFRED! ARE YOU-" the Canadian screamed as he stopped halfway upon seeing the scene in front of him.

The living room was in shambles; there were a few blood stains on the floor, which made Canada's heart sink deeper in guilt. His eyes did notice a note taped to the wall in front of him. He still felt uneasy and panic increased in his mind as he came to a shocking conclusion.

"Alfred is not here..." he said in disbelief.

Canada marched quickly to the note and snatched it up close to see a message. It read:

Hey broha! Sorry about leaving so soon...had some unfinished business I have to take care of. Don't mind the blood...some crazy person was after me but I dealt the situation with my hero powers! Talk to you soon!

Alfred the Fricken Awesome!

Canada felt relief calm down his heart for a moment before he felt puzzled at the turn of events. Confusion now painted on his face. Canada was glad that Belarus did not murder Alfred...but the real question was what had really happened. Canada, still holding the note, walked towards the blood stains and inspected them to find that they were very small...the size of a paint splatter. Kumajirou was standing in the doorway, seeming to be nonchalant about the whole situation.

"Is Hamburger boy kidnapped?" the polar bear said, breaking the Canadian's train of thoughts.

Canada replied with his eyebrows furrowed, "No...I think Al might still be alive...I hope he is okay though..."

Canada had concluded this from the evidence he had collected. America must be alive if he wrote the note to tell his twin that indeed he was okay. There was not much blood on the floor, so it seemed likely that Belarus had not stabbed him to death.

"Yeah...I hope I'm right about this," Canada reassured himself.

Having that sliver of hope, he looked at his pet bear. Kumajirou did not reply. Deciding to catch some sleep, he went back to his room. Canada checked the time to see it was really late and he needed some sleep for tomorrow. He looked at the messy room and another sigh escaped his lips.

He decided to clean it up in the morning. Canada quickly changed into his pyjamas and headed to bed. He tried his best to sleep, even though he felt a gnawing sensation in the pit of his stomach, dreading what is to come.

Meanwhile in Russia's bedroom

Russia was already sleeping with a grin on his relaxed face. He was dreaming of the demise of his beloved enemy, America, and in his dream everyone was one with him! It was so beautiful, and America was giving out a speech how he was at fault for all the world problems. Ivan shifted closer to his sheets and his lips parted slightly, making him appear vulnerable and adorable at the same time.

He was in deep sleep and unaware of the person watching him with keen interest. The intruder was beside his bed, peering almost close enough to the heavy sleeper to fall on top of him.

"I have dealt with the pesky rat..." the soothing voice murmured, eyes looking at Russia so lovingly as to soothe a baby to sleep.

"He gave in much too easily...Now he will stay away for good...da?"

Belarus was so close to his face that she could have given him a quick peck on the forehead if she had so desired. The Slavic woman restrained herself, making sure not to give herself away if Ivan did wake up. She was grateful that Ivan did not change the locks...it would be very difficult to get in.

"Soon...we will get married and live a blissful life..." Belarus smiled creepily as she stepped back. Still watching over him, she exited the room silently.

Natalya was glad that her Big Brother was a heavy sleeper. She had been doing this all of last week without Ivan noticing, just making sure that he was hers.

The next morning at Canada's house

The next day, Canada was up early in the morning preparing breakfast for himself and Kumajirou. He was almost done flipping the last pancake when he heard a growl.

"Hungry! Need pancakes!" the polar bear said, already starving.

Canada replied, "They almost ready, eh?"

He placed the last pancake on the plate for his bear and three pancakes for himself. He walked towards the dinner table, set the plates on top, and quickly headed back to fetch the syrup and cutlery.

Kumajirou's head pop up, looking at Canada's stack hungrily. He hopped on his master's chair, snatched a pancake and munched greedily. By the time Matthew returned, he saw his breakfast half eaten and his bear on the floor with his belly enlarged.

"Kuma!" Canada huffed as he places the syrup down and approached his bear, "You could have waited for a few more seconds."

Kumajirou pouted cutely and Canada smiled, knowing well he could not stay mad at him.

"I'll give you one of mine." Canada grabbed his and gave it to his bear. Kumajirou ate it and muttered a 'thank you'. Canada went back to eating his food.

After twenty minutes of eating. Canada was finishing up cleaning up the dirty dishes when he remembered what he wanted to do this morning.

"Oh no! I forgot to call Al." Canada quickly dried his hands and rushed to his land line to make the call.

Matthew held the receiver and was getting impatient as he heard the dial tone play on. Luckily for the Canadian, he soon heard a cheery, loud voice ring in his ears.

"United States of America speaking, who it this?" Alfred answered the phone.

"Al! It's Matthew...Are you okay?" Matthew cried out in worry.

"Who?" his twin replied.

"Alfred...it's Matthew...Canada...your brother." Canada was dumbfounded that his brother had forgotten him...again.

Alfred didn't say anything...which clued Matthew that Alfred did have no idea.

"Hello?...dude...if this is prank call, I will hunt you down and I will find you!" the American threatened, already assuming it to be a prank call.

"It's Matt..." Matthew said quickly and used his 'nickname' that Al called him, hoping it would trigger his memory.

"Mattie! Dude, bro! What up? Sorry about that." Matthew could hear sheepish laugh from the phone.

"What happened to you...I came back home only to find you gone," Matthew asked, already feeling irritated about America's forgetful moment.

There was a few seconds of silence before America answered back with a jokingly tone, "Oh...bro...about that; some nut case was after me...but I dealt with it."

"How, though?" the Canadian questioned. He could hear the slight hesitation in his answer.

"With my awesome hero powers!" Al said it as if it was the answer for world peace. Canada did not believe a word of it.

"Al...It does not explain much," Canada said, which made Alfred a bit nervous.

"Yes it does!" Alfred quickly interjected, which made Matthew suspicious.

"...Al...What really happened? My place is a mess and there was some blood on the floor..." Matthew explained, trying to coax Al to tell the truth.

"Yeah...dude, about that, I sorta almost got stabbed..."

Canada gulped at this revelation. He stayed silent, encouraging America to continue.

"Just when she was about to stab me...I pushed her off...somehow I got hurt, my right arm got cut...but it was tiny so it did not faze me, hahaha."

"So what happened next...wait, who was she?" Canada played ignorant, knowing well who the attacker was.

"It was the Commie's younger sister! Belarus!"

"Okay...then what happened?"

Al was quiet, which made Matt slightly scared.

"Al...tell me what happen...please?"

"Okay...I gave in...I begged like Italy but without the white flag and all that jazz. She seemed satisfied with it and left. It was totally not heroic at all."

"Hahaha," Matthew giggled at the truth the American told.

"Dude, so not cool..you know super heroes don't hit women and children! I can't hurt her...you know Iggy raised me as a gentleman though..."Alfred explained as he tried to hold onto his dignity.

"Somehow she was like my kryptonite...you know, like Superman's weakness...or something."

"I'm glad that you're okay, Al."

"Don't worry! I'm always fine because I'm the hero!" Canada could hear his animated laugh at the other end. The Canadian rolled his eyes at his twin's ignorance.

"So, I was wondering if you want to come over and–" Canada asked, wondering if America would come to his house after that ordeal.

"Dude, no way! And encounter that crazy ass bitch!...I'm outta here," America snapped, which made Canada cheer mentally.

"America?" Matthew called out.

Canada heard the dial tone. He placed the phone back onto the receiver; he had a huge smile on his face.

"That will teach him!" he smugly said as he went back to the kitchen to clean up. Kumajirou walked towards his owner and asked what happened.

"Let's just say that Al won't be coming here for awhile now."

"Yay! He was annoying!" the pet spoke happily. He added, "He smells like grease..."

Canada just laughed at his witty bear.

"Can we play?" Kuma asked, seeing how his owner had nothing to do for the rest of the morning. Matthew first paused to think if he had anything else planned in his day. He remembered he had some files to read, which he could push aside.

"Sure!" Canada chirped and went upstairs to grab a ball.

Meanwhile at Russia's house

The Baltics were doing their daily chores. Latvia was busy tidying up the living room. Lithuania was cleaning up the dishes and Estonia was upstairs in his room on his computer paying the bills online. The nerd was actually hiding from Russia. His gut was telling him he was in for it!

"I think I went too far..." he cursed himself for trying to take advantage of the Russian. He was trying to do his work until he heard a knock on the door.

Estonia had a feeling who the guest was. He exhaled a big breath and went to answer the door.

There stood Ivan, with a closed-eye smile that made Eduard's blood run cold. He muttered out a weak 'hello' and Russia nodded in greeting, still saying quiet.

Ivan briskly entered his slave's room and Estonia left the door ajar. Estonia was about to ask what happened when a voice cut him off.

"Estonia...close the door."

Estonia's heart was beating frantically. Still trying to stay calm, he obeyed the order. His back was facing Ivan and he could feel Ivan's eyes melting through his back. He shakily closed the door and waited for his impending doom.

He closed his eyes and was waiting for the pipe to make contact with his face. A few moments later, he did not feel anything. He slowly opend his eyes to see Ivan with a confused look on his face.

"Estonia...why did you that?" Ivan did a small pout.

The geek was shocked that Ivan did not make any move. He hesitantly answered, "I was waiting...for you to hit me?" Estonia sounded crazy. Was he begging to be punished?

"Da...I was not going to hit you...though I should have for what you did yesterday," he chuckled and he opened his coat to bring out something.

Estonia flinched, now thinking that Russia had tricked him and was about to strike until his mouth fell open and eyes widened at what he saw.

Russia was holding a small box. He shoved it in the Estonian's arms and he shyly opened it. Shock evident in his face, he said, "This is the new modem for the internet you promised."

Estonia was still in shock and still grasping the situation. He could not believe it.

"I always do what I say..." Ivan smiled and Estonia did not seem to flinch.

"T-Thank you," Eduard thanked Russia, and Russia nodded back.

"Da...now you must help me with something." Ivan's smile widened a bit, much to Estonia's displeasure.

He ignored his feeling, now happy with his high-speed internet.

"You will be in charge of getting rid of Belarus," Ivan said simply.

He was about to walk away. Estonia turned around to see the Russian about to exit.

"When I command you, get her away from me. Your siblings are involved."

Russia exited the room without a word. Eduard was still baffled by the display.

He sighed heavily in relief, glad that he would not get hurt. The realization hit him like a truck slamming to an old lady crossing the road.

"He won't hurt me because Belarus will do it for him..."

He screamed and his two siblings heard from two floors down.

"What's with the screaming?!" Toris yelled out, panic on his pretty face. He almost dropped a china plate in fright.

"No yelling!" Latvia pleaded aloud, tears forming in his eyes. He did not like when people were screaming. He was starting to shake due to his nervousness.

Russia had a grin on his face. He had killed two birds with one stone. Belarus will be out of his way and he had gotten his revenge on the Estonian.

He was in his room, lying on his bed. He was done with his workload, so he had time to think about the progress of his lessons.

"I kinda feel bad for doing that to Estonia." He felt a pang of guilt plague his beating heart.

He knew he could have handled the situation nicely. Ha had fulfilled his promise...sorta. He still remembered the oath to be kind, but lately he had noticed that he was relapsing back to his violent tendencies.

He turned his body on his right side, his face staring at the wall of his bedroom. Ivan had a blank look in his face, but his mind was thinking constantly.

"Matvey will be angry for dirty trick...but Estonia was being mean!" Ivan said to himself in a childish tone.

He did a small pout and his mood became gloomy as he thought about his student.

"I'm sad that this will be over." A frown appeared on his face.

His amethyst eyes scanned the wall, searching for an answer for his problem.

"What should lesson be?..." Ivan thought hard. He was running out of ideas of what to teach Matthew.

He knew from the lessons he had taught that Canada did not need much improvement. It was only a matter of time before Canada would end his services too. This made Ivan upset and...scared.

He had finally managed to get a friend and as soon as he was done using him, he would forget him and abandon him. The insecurity in his heart made him doubt his friendship with the arctic nation.

"Matvey is not like that...he won't leave me..."

Ivan sat upright on his bed, his shoulders hunched and his head resting on his palms. His elbows were placed on top of his thighs, making him look smaller and lost in thought.

Doubt and insecurity overwhelmed him, and soon he growled in frustration.

"What can I do?" Ivan stood up and went downstairs to get some vodka; vodka always helped Russia cheer up. He entered the kitchen to see it abandoned. Lithuania was probably in the laundry room doing some folding. Russia went to the top shelf for some vodka to discover that he had run out.

"Of course...I stopped buying vodka because Matvey always brought some for me." That thought made Ivan more depressed and he headed back to his room to sulk.

At Canada's house

Matthew was sitting on the couch, watching some TV. He was tired from playing fetch with his bear for almost an hour. It was midday, and Canada made a few phone calls to his boss while Kumajirou decided to take a nap before lunch. But before that he finished his reading to discover that he had a file missing!

Canada started to panic and was frantically searching everywhere for the file in his home. He felt so irresponsible for losing it. After thirty minutes looking, he sat on the couch. Still worried and upset, he growled in frustration.

"Arghh...I wished that it would turn up on its own...I can't recall where I last placed it." His hand ran through his silky, wavy hair in an attempt to calm down.

He did a small pout and soon decided not to get too worked up about it. He rationalized that if he stayed upset, it wouldn't help the situation or locating the file. He exhaled a deep breath and continued to watch TV, hoping to preoccupy his troubled mind.

His mind was thinking of possible places to search until he randomly thought about his bear. His eyes saw a public zoo ad with a screenshot of two polar bears sleeping on ice. Matthew smiled at the scene, already forgotten about the stress of the missing file.

"For someone who sleeps a lot, he has plenty of energy to run, eh?" Matthew thought humorously as his eyes were still glued to the TV. He was lost in his own thoughts when there was a knock on the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Coming!" Matthew rushed to open the door.

"Papa?" was Matthew's reply. He was surprised to see his former caretaker.

Francis Bonnefoy was standing at Matthew's door with a handsome smirk on his mature face. He stood tall and was well dressed in his navy blue cloak shirt and red pants that added appeal to his charm.

"Bonjour Mathieu...It been awhile since we last chat, no?" the French man greeted with a smile, making Matthew feel embarrassed.

"Please come in..." The Canadian gestured his guest into his home. Francis seated himself on the brown chesterfield while Matthew sat across from his right side sitting on the love seat.

"I know you are surprised to see me..." France said, breaking the silence. Matthew looked at him with a soft smile.

"I know...not many people visit," Canada commented, and it did made France feel guilty. A small frown was evident on the Frenchman's face...but soon his face turned solemn and his hand went to open his coat to dig up a piece of paper. Matthew's eyes widened in surprise.

"I have come to return something to you...maybe this will help." Francis handed Canada his Manila file that had gone missing. Canada sighed in relief.

"Merci Papa...I was looking for this all afternoon..." He opened the file to check if all the contents were present. His Papa smiled, glad that he made his son happy.

"Where did you find it?" Canada asked, and Francis responded knowingly with a smirk.

"I found it in the hallway...in front of the meeting room England and I were in." Hearing his Papa mention the Brit brought back a painful memory to the Canadian. He clutched the file tight enough that paper wrinkled, leaving irregular shaped creases.

Francis took notice of his son's distress and asked, placing his hand on his shoulder, "Mon petit Mathieu...what happened? Why are you upset?" Francis had a worried look on his face that made Canada shy away. He turned his head down, unable to face his Papa.

"It is...nothing..." the Canadian lied, but France knew his son well enough to see he was hiding something. Francis assumed it was something he said.

"How did you know it was mine?" Canada whispered, and Francis took a moment to pause to think for an answer.

"I saw your name on the file, mon petit," France answered, making Matthew feel silly for asking. Francis did remember his visit with the Englishman, and the file had rekindled his memories.

Flashback/kcabhsalf

"Arthur, do you mean to say that you will never acknowledge him as an independent nation? Are you that cold-hearted?"

"To be honest, I always hated the little wanker. I'm surprised I never annihilated him when I in power back then. I could have saved up my resources for something better."

"I can't believe this, mon dieu!" the Frenchman yelled at his rival. He rose from his seat and places his hands on his hips defensively. His expression was a mixture of shock and disgust at England.

England was sitting down, his leg crossed over and his face hard and serious as if to challenge him. Francis was in disbelief. He was getting furious at Arthur's attitude.

Francis could have continued his argument, but he knew from his past history with the Briton that it would be pointless. Still angry, he decided to insult him as a way to get back at Arthur's insensitivity. But it fell on death ears...only to be replaced with a harsh statement by the Englishman.

"At least I don't accept defeat quickly." England smirked and sneered at the Frenchman.

Francis muttered an offensive curse in French so cold that England could tell that it was not something pleasant. It did not faze him the least, since he was already satisfied with the burn France had felt with the low comment.

As he exited the room and shut the door, his eyes caught a sight down the hall. The Frenchman turned his head to see a bob of gold wavy hair similar to his.

He did a small smile; he would recognize that sexy hair from a mile away. It was Mathieu...but he was now wondering why he was here.

He soon noticed a file on the floor near his right foot. The Parisian bent over to pick up the file. His eyes scanned the paper to see that it did belong to his son. This made the Frenchman more confused; he could tell that his petit lapin would never leave his file. It did not seem like his son at all for him to be so careless with his belongings.

A sudden thought made the Frenchman gasp.

"Sacre bleu...Did Mathieu...overheard my conversation?" Francis now had a worried expression on his handsome visage.

He muttered out, "I must get to the bottom of this..." Now with fire in his ocean blue eyes, he headed towards Matthew's direction until he laid eyes on a maid walking past him that appeared to have smiled at him.

Francis was already distracted and, abandoning his mission, went to follow the lovely brunette. He turned around and called out to the very attractive woman, "Call me! ~" He blew a kiss to the young lady, and she was charmed by how handsome the male was. She blushed shyly and waved back.

"Score!" was France's final thought before he approached her, wrapping his arm around her. Francis spoke sweet nothings to the young maiden and the Parisian knew she was smitten. He led her to a secluded meeting room, planning to thoroughly enjoy her.

Being French did have its advantages!

End of Flashback/Kcabhsalf fo dnE

"Mon Cher...is there something wrong?" Francis leaned closer, making Canada blush at the proximity.

Matthew lowered his head. He was afraid that looking into those sapphire eyes would force him to admit everything. He stuttered out, weakly, hoping that his Papa would drop the subject, "No...w-what m-makes you say that?" It was a stupid question to ask...but it slipped from his lips. Regret filled his heart. He despised getting his hopes for someone who was probably just pretending to show concern for him until he was forgotten again.

Francis smiled genuinely and Mathieu felt lips press on his forehead in a comfortable gesture. Loving arms wrapped around the Canadian, and he felt the parental security he had missed out when he was taken away from his Papa. He missed this!

"Mon Petit Lapin...You can tell me anything that is bothering you?" Francis cooed to the younger male, still holding him. Matthew felt his eyes water at France's words. His heart was overwhelmed by this new-found reassurance.

His hand shyly return the hug back. Francis was surprised but soon felt his son relax. The Frenchman waited for Matthew to calm down before he inquired again. Matthew looked back, his eyes having the courage to see the Frenchman's he whispered his response.

"It...was England," Matthew revealed, and continued speaking. "I was heading into the meeting room to discuss our immigration policies with him until...I-I overheard him saying bad things...about me."

France hated when he was right. He might as well try to cheer him up. He released his hug and stared deep into Matthew's watery eyes.

"He is a delusional fuzzy-browed, scone-eating, tea-loving jerkface, who does not deserve someone as special as you, mon petit Mathieu."

Hearing those words from his Papa, he smiled and thanked him. Matthew chuckled mentally at his Papa's insults but still smiled at Francis.

"Merci...Papa." Relief washed through his heart and Francis felt content at placating his son. Too bad he had to ruin the heart-felt moment by being 'France'.

"Ahh." A small gasped escaped the Canadian's lips as he felt a hand caress his buttock.

"PAPA!" wailed the Canadian, already peeved that he had ruined the tender moment. His Papa had a perverse smirk on his face. His eyes filled with lust.

"I cannot help it...l'amour asks for it," he said simply with a wave of his arm. Canada pouted at this. He remembered the times when he lived under France that he would have his moments of getting too touchy for Canada's comfort.

"I don't miss that at all," Canada thought sadly as shifted his seat further away to make sure it did not happen again.

"Ohonhonhon." The Frenchman laughed and spoke again. "Mon Cher...you are too adorable, no? Whoever has you would be the luckiest, don't you agree?"

"R-really? I-I hope so..." Matthew shyly said, feeling embarrassed and already thinking of a certain Russian. France took a split second to see his son already flustered.

"Mathieu...are you seeing someone?" One eyebrow elevated slightly on his masculine forehead.

Canada stuttered out, already feeling exposed, "W-what m-makes you say that?" Canada prayed to the heavens that Francis would stop snooping. Francis had a twinkle in his eyes as a devilish plan formed in his mind, which made the Canadian's stomach do flip-flops in anxiety.

"You know, mon petit lapin..." France placed his right hand on Matthew's lap, making him feel a bit at ease. This kind touch made Matthew feel suspicious of the Frenchman. Francis leaned closer, but not enough for their noses to touch each other.

"You can tell me anything...we never had much time since England took you away."

Francis's face reflected pity and remorse. Canada already felt his heart being stabbed by the Frenchman's guilt trip. He could feel his eyes on him, drilling into his soul. His thoughts tried to supply him with an excuse, a lie, something to get his Papa off his back. His musings were interrupted when his Father continued speaking.

"I feel as though you don't trust me enough to be a part of your life!" France exclaimed as he stood up melodramatically, which made Canada get up from his seat, unsure of what to do.

"Wait...Papa...I...It's not like I don't trust you...I very much trust you," Canada meekly explained, trying to make France see his sincerity.

Francis turned around, deciding to continue his charade a bit more.

"Non! I cannot be sure...You say that, but you rely on someone else!" He sobbed, already trapping his boy with his plan.

Canada was at lost for words. He felt guilty. He sighed, having already accepted defeat. Matthew could feel a headache coming on.

"I really need to think of better excuses," the Canadian sadly thought. As he called out to his Papa, "Ok...I will tell you...please sit," Canada saw the victory smirk plastered on the Frenchman's face. He felt peeved at Francis's dirty trick, but he would have found out eventually.

"Ohonhonhon...do tell me all the details, oui?" Francis sat quickly with his legs crossed and his left arm planted on the armrest. Francis inched closer to Matthew curiously.

"I really hate him!" Matthew thought darkly as he sighed.

The Canadian paused, trying to collect his thoughts. Meanwhile, Francis was still waiting with his eyes locked on the smaller male.

"I sorta have a small," Matthew admitted shyly, still avoiding his Papa's face, "crush...on R-Russia..."

Francis's face did a 180 flip. Matthew still did not hear his father's reply so he raised his head slightly to see his Papa's shocked face.

"Oh no, is it something I said..." A troubled thought formed in Canada's mind. He felt stupid and now scared. Maybe his Papa would go against his decision.

"Maybe he is like Al...hating former Soviets." Canada frowned at his hypothesis while he tried to think of something to say, anything to make the whole conversation normal again.

Francis smirked and commented back, "Mathieu...this is a quite a development, no?"

"I do not mind if you crush on Russie...He is very attractive, and I thought you would fall for Prusse," Francis pondered. Matthew felt dumbfounded at this reveal.

"S-so...you don't hate Russia or have anything against him?" Canada asked, already feeling relief at Francis's support.

"Non...I do not hate Russia, unlike the others...I do understand why they do because of his past, but I do have a soft spot for him." Matthew had never expected that answer, especially coming from Francis Bonnefoy!

Canada showed a small smile, which Francis reflected back. Both males savoured how their bond was gaining strength.

There was silence until Matthew said, "T-thanks."

France replied, "You're welcome," and stood up to take his leave. Matthew's day was turning out great!

"Oh...mon petit...do tell me the lovely details when you try to ask him out," Francis said last as he showed himself out.

Matthew felt his face grow hot. Embarrassed and caught off guard by the Frenchman's comment, he whined out lamely, "Papa!" Matthew could hear his typical laugh echoing in response, which added a darker tint to his cheeks.

Kumajirou overheard his master's conversation with the Frenchman. He was awake when Francis entered and he felt protective when he was around. Matthew always attracted the weirdoes.

"Pervert's gone...why did you tell him about vodka breath?" the pet questioned, and Canada felt indignant at his bear.

"Kuma! How long were you there?" Canada asked, to which Kuma-bear replied, "Since Pervert came."

"Well...he was very persistent..." he explained, and Kuma shook his head.

"Too sentimental...you try being like Vodka breath," Kuma suggested, and Canada felt insulted but understood what the polar had to say.

"Maybe you're right..." Canada shrugged and decided to head to the kitchen to get himself a drink.

"You hungry, Kumajirou?"

"No...I want Maple syrup!"

Matthew chuckled. He grabbed the bottle and walked towards the chesterfield with his pet following along. They decided to watch an old sitcom to pass the time. He checked his watch to see that he had some time left before he would need to get his room ready for his student.

Since Belarus wouldn't be after him, he could have Ivan come to his home again.

At Russia's house

Russia was downstairs with a hard look on his face. In front of the Russian was his trio of housemaids: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. They all had fear painted on their faces, unsure of what Ivan would say to them.

The Baltics did notice the mood swings of Ivan. Toris had accidentally walked into his room to deliver his lunch when he saw Russia sulking. Vanya was too lost in thought to notice Lithuania place the tray on his bed and leave.

Another occurrence was when Latvia was bringing clean linen to change Ivan's bed sheets and his eyes widened at the sight of the elder man not drinking vodka. Raivis could tell something was bothering him if he was not drinking. He left his master alone with his thoughts, feeling sympatric towards him.

Lastly, Estonia experienced the worst of the Russian's odd behaviour after getting his modem from him; he was extremely bi-polar. He kept asking him to do unnecessary things and was extremely calm about it, which put the geek slightly on edge.

The Baltics were patiently waiting for Russia to speak to end this escalating fear building up inside their slim bodies. Russia appeared to be fine; his face was neutral and his lips were pressed in a thin line to show that he was thinking long and hard about something.

Russia commanded with a low voice that made Latvia tremble quickly, while Estonia and Lithuania flinched in response, "You three will be in charge of distracting Belarus...da." The way Russia said that left no room for objection.

Toris was the first to speak out, a bit hesitantly, in an attempt to find out the reason why. "Mr. Russia...Why should we do that...Isn't she fine the way she in her room?"

Russia was confused for a nanosecond before he spoke back in a sickly sweet voice that made the Lithuanian's spine tingle in fear, "Because...Estonia promised me he would after I fulfilled his promise," Ivan explained and Estonia grumbled at this while Latvia looked baffled at what Russia meant.

He further added, "I have somewhere to be, so I don't want Belarus to follow me...or we can say that something terrible may happen to all of you, da?"

Latvia shook more violently, and Toris gave a small gasp in response as his eyes widened in fear and face went ghost white. Eduard was getting uncomfortable by the implications of Russia's threat and clenched his fist tightly around the hem of his shirt. Ivan smiled at their reactions; he missed seeing their terrified looks!

"I'm starting to wonder why I decide to be nice to people if they will try to take advantage of me!" the Russian thought as he continued to stare with his child-like eyes at his Baltic states.

"Oh right...I promised Matvey I would be nice." Russia pouted at this and sighed, already going back to his depressed state. He was heading towards the door when he heard a voice speak to him.

"H-have a-a good d-day, sir," little Latvia said, which made Russia feel a bit remorseful. He nodded slightly in agreement and closed the door behind him.

Belarus appeared and yelled, "Where is Big Brother?" while glaring at Toris.

Trying to calm down his love-interest with his hands raised in front of him, Lithuania said, "Belarus...Mr. Russia just left for an important meeting...He told us to tend to your needs if you want something."

Belarus frowned at the news and she smiled sinisterly, which made all the Baltics cry out.

"I am sad that Big Brother is not here, but I need some new targets for my shiny brand-new throwing knives."

The younger sibling brought out two knives with both hands and her eyes twinkled in mirth. "I might as well use you three as I wait for my fiancée to come back to me."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The Baltic's blood curling scream was not heard by the rest of the other countries due to it being mixed with insane laughter from Natalya.

Luckily for Ukraine...she too was gone to visit her country for important country work.

Meanwhile at Canada's house

Matthew was getting ready for his lesson with Russia. He was setting up his classroom but decided to try a more hands-on approach. He concluded from previous lessons with the Russian that he might apply these concepts if he had the opportunity practice them.

"I hope this will work..." Canada thought as he brought out his student's desk.

He was also very excited to try out new things with Russia. However, anxiety filled his heart and made him slightly nervous; he pondered if this idea would be successful. He shook his head, scaring his doubt away to focus on his next task.

He later went downstairs to retrieve a gymnast floor mat. It was not so big that Canada could not carry it around, nor was it too much smaller than Kumajirou, so it was thus able to accommodate his and Russia's size. After a few seconds, he returned and set up the mat.

"Maybe this will help him understand it better," he muttered softly as he scanned the room to see if he had everything.

Kumajirou was at the corner of the room, watching with keen interest.

"Canada...what are you doing?" the pet bear asked curiously, to which Matthew replied, "I'm setting up my lesson with Ivan." Matthew looked confused, wondering why his pet was asking.

"No, silly...What's with the mat?" the bear corrected.

Matthew felt a bit embarrassed but answered, "The mat is for the trust activities that we will be doing." Kumajirou bored and felt like harassing his master. He had witnessed the two arctic nations getting closer, and it would only be a matter of time before they got into the intimate phase of the relationship.

"No mating with Vodka breath?" the bear said teasingly, which made Matthew feel confused.

The bear's paw pointed at the floor mat, and the Canadian's eyes travelled to see said object. Canada was puzzled at what his pet meant.

The realization struck at him, making him think perverse thoughts of him on his back with Ivan on top, pining his arms and ravaging him with brutal passion-filled kisses. The Canadian's cheeks were now beet-red and he scowled at his bear's dirty trick.

"Kuma! It is not going to happen! Stop thinking like France!"

Kumajirou shrugged, losing interest, and soon his stomach growled.

"Feed me?"

Matthew sighed and muttered an 'okay'.

After Kuma was fed, Matthew was fetching up the two vodka bottles for Russia when he heard knocking.

Knock.

"Coming!" Matthew placed the alcohol on his student's desk and went to answer the door. Russia stood there with a blank look on his face except for a small smile.

Matthew greeted with a friendly voice, "Ivan! How nice to see you, please come in."

Russia entered the Canadian's home and turned to face him. He greeted him with pleasantries and headed straight to his desk. His eyes saw the promised drinks and he made a small pout. His heart felt pinching sensations; he was feeling guilty for breaking Matvey's promise.

Canada took notice of Russia's odd behaviour. His eyes filled with worry, he asked as he placed a hand on his shoulder, "Ivan...is there something wrong?" Canada eyes searched for clues about what was upsetting the Russian.

"Is it the vodka? I know the brand was not the same–"

"Nyet...it is not," Russia interjected and added with a smile. "I'm fine, da."

Canada did not believe him, but he did want to coax the truth out of his student. He patted his shoulder in a comfortable gesture and looked at his face.

"Are you sure? We can always talk, right?" Canada's lips formed a soft smile, and that made Ivan's heart clench tightly.

His discomfort was evident in the Russian's face, and the smaller male frowned slightly.

"Da...we do lesson now." Russia face returned back to his usual masked expression. Canada led the way and Russia looked surprised at the floor mat.

"What are we doing?" Russia asked.

Canada answered with a bit of a stutter, "I will explain in a bit...but first I-I want to actually discuss trust with you." Canada stood facing Ivan.

Ivan seemed satisfied with the answer and did not say anything else, which cued the Canadian to continue.

"Trust is very important in friendship." Canada spoke softly, but his voice was stern and serious, making Ivan's ears perk up upon hearing his wisdom.

"Anyone can make friends, but to maintain your friendship with anyone is a challenge," Canada continued, and Ivan nodded in understanding.

"So I will be doing some trust activities for you to practice so you feel comfortable with others." Canada brought out a stool and set it beside the mat. Ivan's eyes sparkled with curiosity, wondering what the Canadian had in mind.

"I will do an example of a trust fall." Canada explained the activity and told Russia stand on the matt.

Canada got up on the stool with his back facing Ivan.

Russia took off his shoes and removed his shoes. He later did what he was told, slowly starting to get what Matthew was trying to accomplish. He giggled with a smile.

"This does seem fun!" Russia's arms stretched outwards, appearing to catch the Canadian's fall.

"When I say 'I trust you' I will fall, and you must catch me, ok?" Matthew explained, and Russia nodded. Just before Matthew was about to begin, he felt strong arms pick him up. Matthew 'eeped' at the unexpected action.

"Mr. Braginski?" Matthew stuttered out; he felt flustered at being carried bridal-style. Russia did not seem to mind; he was enjoying this.

The Russian stared at him, a bit confused, but happily said, "Da...I catch you."

Matthew looked at Russia's eyes. Feeling heat tingling on his delicate face he stuttered out, "Mr. Braginski...you didn't let me fall yet."

"Mr. Williams, you said 'I trust you' so I assume you are ready." Russia frowned at this and the Canada chuckled at his student's eagerness.

"It is okay...we try this again..but this time wait, eh?" Matthew smiled and Russia agreed.

Russia gently placed Matvey on the student's desk and the teacher thanked him for his deed. He turned his back towards him, his arms stretched out in a 't' shape. Russia was prepared to catch Canada when he told him the keyword. After a few seconds, Matthew said the phrase and fell, but luckily for the smaller nation, he landed in large, strong arms that made the boy feel warm.

"You caught me..." he said in amazement, and Ivan smiled.

"Da...I promise Matvey I would."

They stayed like this for a few seconds, just staring into each other's eyes, until a voice interrupted them. Matthew knew that familiar voice.

"Are you about to mate now?" the pet bear asked, and Matthew felt speechless at his bear's vulgar comments.

Russia had a look of surprised and contentment. He did not mind Kumajirou's comments, since he was more than happy to see his master's embarrassed state; it was an adorable sight for the Russian male.

Matthew asked to be put down and Ivan released his hold. The Canadian went to his bear to scold him about embarrassing him in front of his guest. The bear just nonchalantly shrugged, seeing no harm in what he had done. He thought his master had an overactive imagination.

Russia just did a small, creepy smile at the scene. From his few visits, he had discovered that he was fond of Canada and his pet polar bear's banter! It was very interesting!

After a few more minutes, Canada felt much better. His face showed signs of vindication at succeeding in his revenge on the bear by threatening to take his maple-flavoured salmon away if he continued to misbehave. This bluff worked, and Kumajirou stayed silent. Russia could see the bear's eyes twinkle; he had a plan to get back at his master.

"I'm so sorry...I had to deal with Kumajirou before we continue," Canada apologized sincerely, and Russia told him it was fine.

"Now I will do the same for you...I will try to catch you," Canada said simply, and Russia was unsure.

"Matvey...are you sure?" Russia asked, his face had a mixture of uncertainty and skepticism.

He knew that Canada was the second largest nation...but Russia was the biggest. He was actually afraid of crushing the smaller male; he appeared to break easily if he was not handled with care.

Matthew attempted to ease Ivan's worries. "You seem to doubt my strength...Perhaps if you allow me to demonstrate, I can show you, eh?"

Russia was taken aback at how well Canada could read his mind. He smiled teasingly so as to challenge the arctic nation's claim.

"Da...we see," Russia said as he climbed on the student's desk with his back facing Canada.

Matvey was getting ready to catch him, already determined to prove him wrong. Russia played along, but a small part of him was still scared of hurting him.

There was silence and Russia was planing on taking him by surprise. Matthew placed all his focus on the Russian, until he heard Kumajirou call out to him.

"Canada...losers say what!" the polar yelled out quickly, making Canada's concentration shatter into pieces.

Matthew replied, his eyes leaving the Russian's back for split second, "What?"

Canada did not hear his bear's snide remark, instead feeling pain and a heavy weight crush him.

Ivan was the first to speak, since he did not feel any pain (Canada had cushioned his fall). He recognized this soft fuzzy feeling, especially from those times when he sat on the poor boy during those long world meetings. He smiled, relishing the feel of Canada's body until he heard a whimper.

"Maple..."

"Ahhh...how nostalgic." Ivan was lost in his daydream until Canada spoke out a bit louder this time.

" R-russia...get off!" Russia's musing stopped and were now replaced with concerned. He shifted his body so he was face-to-face with Canada.

"I told you it did not work," Ivan said smugly.

Canada muttered back, trying to explain himself, "It was not my fault! Kuma played a mean trick!" Ivan believed him but laughed at the idea. Matthew's cheeks tinted a rosy pink, feeling Ivan's hot breath on his face. The Canadian took notice of their positions and it made him think back to the dirty scene of him and Ivan making out.

The Canadian's cheeks went a shade darker. Russia observed this and smirked.

"Is Matvey thinking about something naughty?" the Russian joked.

The other male replied back defensively, "No!...Um–could you get off me? I would like to finish up this lesson." Russia chuckled and did what he was told. Canada stood up and checked himself to see if he was okay. Ivan had his smile on and was waiting for Canada to continue.

"You can go and I will catch you," Matthew said confidently. Ivan hopped on the desk and did the same position. Matthew prepared himself for the impact.

"I trust you," Ivan said as he fell backwards.

Matthew did grab the Russian, but he found that he was a bit heavier than expect. He still somehow managed to pull it off. He did not carry Russia bridal style, but he held up his torso while his legs rested on the matt. Matthew was still standing, so it was successful.

Russia spoke out, "Comrade...you did it." The older male had to look up at Matthew face. The other smiled; he was amazed at himself that he had done it.

"Well...I'm surprised too, but it shows that you underestimated me, eh?"

Russia did a childish giggle. "Da."

Matthew released his arms and Russia asked, "What are we doing next?"

Excitement filled his voice. Matthew enjoyed his student's participation; it made teaching him so much fun!

"The last part is to do comfort talk," Matthew stated, and Russia smiled.

"Why do I need to know that?"

Canada sighed. "Mr. Braginski...you may be able not to say creepy things, but it is not the only way to make friends."

Russia looked confused, but Canada continued speaking. "Learning how to comfort others is a great way to show that you care, and are thus reliable! Remember the list?"

Russia thought back to his first lesson with the damn list mocking him.

He frowned at the memory and muttered, "Da."

"Also, this will help out with your project!" Matthew beamed and Ivan felt nervous when the topic was discussed. He had not even thought about his project, which made his frown even more upside down.

Matthew picked up on his student's worried face and asked, "Mr. Braginski...is there something wrong?"

Canada could make an educated guess that it had something to do with the project. He did not want to force Ivan to tell him; maybe it was pride that prevented him from speaking? Canada was unsure.

"If it is about the project, I can assure you that you will do great! And with this lesson, I know you can!" Matthew smiled and it did cheer up the Russian.

They headed back to the classroom and Matthew was in front of Ivan. Ivan sat down and waited for the Canadian to begin.

"So, for this exercise we will try to comfort each other. An example would be to say nice things to others to make them feel better," Canada explained, and Russia nodded.

"So, I want you to say something to me to try to make me feel better, ok?" Matthew said and waited for Russia to speak.

The Russian pondered what to say. He did a closed-eye grin and said, "Mr. Williams is soft...He make a great chair!"

He had enjoyed landing on Matthew with the trust fall activity. Matthew was slightly peeved at what he said; he couldn't decide if it was a compliment or an insult.

"Mr. Braginski...I don't think that it is a good idea to tell me or others that they are furniture."

Russia pouted childishly and whined, "This is too hard."

Matthew decided that he should do the reverse and show him how it was done.

"Mr. Braginski...people may misunderstand your intentions, but deep inside I think you are a wonderful person, and with some gentle guidance from me you can be happy." Matthew just felt stupid for saying that; he wanted to crawl into the ground and die of embarrassment.

Ivan Braginski blushed a rosy pink at what the Canadian had revealed. He had never heard a compliment in his entire life; he mostly heard ugly rumours and snide remarks about his insanity or supposed cruelty to others. But listening to Canada's feelings for him made his heart pump happily, making him feel like he was going to puke.

"Spasibo...Mr. Williams." Ivan turned his face away, not seeing Canada's small smile.

"See, now you try."

"I think...that you make me feel warm and I don't want to hurt you, unlike the others...When I see their stupid faces it does bring pleasure to me to pound them into dust!" Ivan sang the last part, making Canada gasp.

Beside that ending, Russia did say something remotely sweet. Canada blushed at the compliment. He never received them because of his invisibility, so he feel embarrassed when anyone said something positive about him.

"Thank you." Russia smiled back with a real one that made Canada's heart melt.

"I think we are done for today. Ivan, my advice is when you are talking, don't say anything negative at all; it ruins the purpose." Canada patted his shoulder and Russia nodded.

"I will try, da...but it sometimes slips out." Russia went to pick up his vodka, but he hid it from Canada's view.

Matthew did notice this but did not say anything. Russia went to Kumajirou and gave him his salmon. The polar bear was gnawing on his food and he went back to speak with Matthew about his news.

"Comrade," Ivan called out to Matthew and he stood there. He wanted to tell him about the last meeting, but he was too scared to admit to him that it would all be over.

"Never mind...Have good night." Russia showed himself out.

"Russia, wait!" It fell on deaf ears, and he heard the door close in answer. Matthew knew that something was wrong, but what if Ivan did not trust him enough to tell him what was really bothering him?

"Vodka Breath sad?" Kumajirou had witnessed the scene and he was confused too. Matthew sighed and his face was painted with worry.

"I think so...Ivan."


	12. Canada's final lesson

Canada was awake in the early morning. He was on his way to clean up the kitchen. He had eaten his breakfast already and made Kumajirou his usual food. To an observer, Canada might have seemed to be acting normally, but if one looked closely at the Canadian's face, a tiny frown was visible; his mind was filled with worry for the Russian.

Canada felt his stomach twist in painful knots as his thoughts plunged deeper. He was already beginning to feel stressed-out.

He muttered out in mid-thought, "I hope Ivan is okay...I wish there was something I could do."

Matthew did a depressed sigh as he started to wash the dirty dishes in the sink. He had not gotten as much sleep as he should have last night, but his mind was preoccupied with concern for Russia; sleep was the least of his worries!

Canada did a small yawn and soon did a bigger frown.

"I wonder what is bothering him...Is it something I did?" he muttered, already berating himself, apparently for no reason whatsoever!

He had a busy day ahead of him, and a lack of sleep might make his day troublesome for him.

Kumajirou was taking his morning nap, unaware of his master's troubles. The sound of ringing filled the room. The polar bear's ears perked up and a loud yawn passed his mouth. Canada was lost in his depressing thoughts; he did not notice the phone ringing until his polar bear spoke.

"Canada...phone."

It did caught the Canadian's attention and he abruptly stopped his menial task to answer the phone. Kumajirou wanted to go back to sleep, but he decided to eavesdrop on his master's conversation to get some new material to tease him with. A small smile formed on the pet's face and Canada saw this with an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

A swift hand grasped the receiver and his lips formed a courteous, "Hello, this is Matthew Williams speaking. May I ask who is calling?"

Canada said it formally, assuming it was his Prime Minister calling.

"Hello Canada, is it Katyusha," a cheery voice replied back that made Canada's mood soar in delight, having already forgotten his issue.

"Hello Katyusha, how are you?" Canada asked nicely. He was surprised to hear from the Ukrainian. It has been awhile since their last encounter. The arctic nation believed this was what he needed to cheer himself up!

Katyusha sniffled before replying with a worried tone, "I'm good, but I must ask if you are good. Tak." Canada could hear Ukraine's voice wavering as if she was about to break into tears.

"I was worried if something bad happened to you...Did my sister hurt you?"

Matthew interrupted her quickly to end her worrying. "I'm fine! Please don't cry!"

Matthew sighed when he heard Ukraine mutter an 'okay'. He continued his story.

"Remember that I had a plan for Belarus? It worked quite well, if you ask me." Canada beamed at this, and this made Ukraine curious.

"Really? What did you do? Please tell me!"

The last part made Matthew feel giddy like a high school girl who had the latest gossip. He was itching to tell her the biggest news. Ukraine was glad that Matthew was safe and stayed silent, waiting for her question to be answered.

"Well...remember that Belarus was planning to kill me at my house? Let us just say that I had a substitute to stay for her to arrive," Matthew said with a small chuckle.

"Guess who looks like me and was invited to come over to my house?"

Katyusha took a few seconds to decode what the Canadian meant. Matthew could hear a small gasp from the line at the sudden revelation.

She laughed afterwards and Matthew joined in, relishing the irony of the situation.

She giggled. "Canada played a mean trick! Is America okay, though? Tell me he did not die, tak?"

Ukraine was such a kind soul, always thinking about the well-being of others. Matthew did a small smile at his friend's merciful attitude. That was one of her qualities that Canada was fond of.

"Don't worry...Al is not dead, but he is officially scared of Belarus!"

"I'm glad that things are good for you." Matthew smiled, already pleased that everything was going well for him.

"Now Canada, I must ask, how are you and my brother? Is he good?"

When Katyusha asked, Matthew hesitated, afraid to tell his sister about her brother's current state.

"Um...well..." Matthew stuttered out as he was thinking of some answer to keep Ukraine from worrying about her brother.

"Well, things are good so far...Russia is improving, which is good, eh."

Matthew sighed in relief, already glad that he had found something to talk about. Ukraine's voice increased in pitch and the Canadian could tell that she was pleased with what she heard.

"This is very good, tak! Russia will get a friend soon." Matthew felt proud at his accomplishment and Ukraine continued, "I'm very happy! But I must know, have you two gotten closer?"

Matthew's cheeks blushed at the Ukrainian's inquiry and answered her shyly, "We sort of did...but nothing happened y-yet...I mean, I do want something to happen..."

Canada found it odd that he was more comfortable talking about his love problems with her than with Papa. His thoughts flashed back to all the intimate moments they had shared the past few days, and his heart couldn't help but skip a few beats when he thought of the Russian.

"Do not worry! I'm sure it will happen, but do you think my brother likes you back?" Ukraine's question did make Matthew wonder if his feelings were reciprocated.

"I-I don't know...I hope so..." Matthew admitted sadly, and Ukraine could not stop herself as she 'awed' at her adorable friend. This made Canada feel extremely embarrassed.

"Canada is so cute...Russia is happy to have you. I suggest you do something to show you like him. He is new with these things, tak."

After hearing this, Canada smiled at her strong words and agreed.

"If you need help I will come soon in a few days...Just remember to be direct!" Canada felt shocked at the woman's bold advice, thinking it would be uncharacteristic of him to do something like that.

"Ehh? W-what?" was Canada's quick response, but all he heard was the Ukrainian's giggles, which made Canada's cheeks tint a rosy pink.

"I must go now...My boss want to talk to me about my agriculture...We talk later, tak?"

Canada was glad that the conversation ended before he further embarrassed himself.

"Ok...Have a good day," Canada replied formally.

Ukraine answered back sweetly, "Ok...you too."

Canada heard the dial tone and placed the receiver down gently. He felt flustered about the telephone conversation and looked at his bear. The pet's beady eyes stared straight at Canada, picking up on his flustered cheeks.

"You act like a girl sometimes." Canada frowned at his bear's teasing. Kumajirou just stared at him, unfazed by his owner's reaction.

"Well...you sleep too much," Canada said lamely, and his bear's nose twitched noncommittally.

"Because I'm a bear, silly," was the polar bear's quick reply back.

Clearly Canada was losing to a smart-talking bear and he heaved a small sigh at how uncool he was acting.

"Just hush now." Matthew's eyebrows lowered, making him look peeved at his bear's teasing nature.

Kumajirou noticed but decided to play along once more.

"You'll make a move, yes?" Kumajirou asked, and Canada had to pause before replying to that.

"Perhaps...Umm, I think so...?"

He sounded so unsure; his thoughts were full of doubts about Ivan's feelings towards him. Kumajirou looked at Canada's uncertainty, already shaking his head in disagreement at the pathetic sight.

The polar bear sighed. "You're hopeless..."

Canada was about to get defensive with an exasperated look on his face. His bear ignored him and went back to his peaceful sleep.

"Why did I ever keep him?" Canada thought bitterly, and he headed back to the kitchen to finish up his cleaning duties.

He decided that he would do some paperwork and call his boss afterwards to discuss his economy, hoping that it would keep him distracted from thinking of Ivan.

Meanwhile at Russia's house

"There...I think I did well," Belarus said to herself, admiring her handiwork.

She placed her knives back into her dress and looked at them with a smile that could make anybody shiver in fear. Her pretty eyes looked ahead to see her 'targets' well used.

The Baltics were injured; Latvia had minor cuts across his chest and a few deeper cuts on his legs. He was bawling his eyes out of pain and fear for the Belarusian.

Belarus's smile was still on her face, proud that she was still able to make someone cry.

Raivis was on the floor in a fetal position, trying to suppress the ordeal that he had survived. He was still whimpering as he felt Natalya's eyes on him.

The Slavic woman shifted her gaze to stare at the next Baltic. She giggled at the sight, making her grin in glee.

Eduard was in a similar condition as his younger brother except he was pinned to the wall with the knives attached to his clothes like pushpins. He tried to come down but was unable to in fear of Natalya attempts to strike him if he did so much as budge. He whimpered softly as he tried to think of happy thoughts. Sadly, that did not work.

Natalya raised her knife to throw another, which made Estonia shriek like a scared little girl. The woman smiled in response, already pleased with the aftermath that had the geek shaken.

Her eyes trailed to the last and eldest Baltic. Her eyes narrowed in frustration, but in glee to see his pathetic state.

Lithuania had suffered the most from Belarus's cruel treatment. He was not attached to the wall but instead had the most knife wounds (a few were deep that required stitches) and, unexpectedly, some broken fingers. Natalya did notice that Toris did have some subconscious machinist tendencies (who wouldn't after living with Russia for so many years?). She got extra pleasure torturing him.

Most of the Lithuanian's clothes were torn and barely covered his body, except for his pants, which were somehow unscathed. He was on the ground on his back, but he lifted his head to look at his abuser.

His face paled when he saw Natalya's eyebrows narrow harshly.

He gulped. "B-Belarus...why so angry?"

"You are enjoying this...that I don't like it at all," she scoffed coldly, and Toris smiled weakly.

"I'm not...but as long as you're happy, I'm happy..."

Natalya loathed Toris and his attitude towards her. She could not fathom why he would ever crush on her; she knew that his feelings were unrequited.

"The only one who should care for my happiness is Big Brother." A snide remark passed her lips as she leaned closer, bringing the knife back to intimidate the brunette.

Toris felt really nervous with the knife pressing closer to his jugular. He could have spoken back and said something to further anger the young lady. He chose remain silent, which Natalya took as a sign of acceptance.

She slowly pulled the knife away from him, causing the young male to exhale in relief. She glared at him to give him a warning. She turned away so her back was facing him and walked away.

She headed back to Russia's room to wait for the Russian's arrival. A smile formed on her face as she thought of her 'beloved' coming into her arms. The Baltics tried their very best to fix themselves up before Mr. Russia arrived; he would still expect them to do their chores regardless of what health condition they were in.

"Why?" Latvia managed to ask (trembling weakly now that Natalya was gone), and Estonia lowered his head in shame, unable to answer, feeling horrible for what he haddone.

Lithuania was still on the ground and with an exasperated gasp he cried out, "You are a bad brother to do this to us! Was the internet really worth it?"

"Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time," the geek replied, which did not convince the other siblings.

"I did not know that Russia would get you or Raivis involved!"

"Well, it was not," Toris said with a peeved look. Latvia frowned at all of this. Estonia felt guilty about getting his brothers involved in something between Russia and himself.

"Sorry?"

"We still won't forgive you for this..." Toris and Raivis said, which made Eduard feel guiltier.

"Can you at least get me down?" Estonia asked, and seeing his brothers' pointed look he knew the answer.

The other two males left since they were able to. Eduard felt like a jerk to do this, but he too had to get himself ready.

"I'm really sorry," Estonia said, already feeling regretful for his action. He was still trapped on the wall like a portrait, feeling the lacerations on his body. His call was ignored, and moments passed which felt like years until he heard the door unlocking.

The door was opened and Russia entered to see the Estonian's pathetic state. He had to laugh at the look on Estonia's face; it was hilarious!

"Can you please get me down?" Estonia asked, already tired of being a wall decoration. Russia chuckled as he approached the Baltic and set him free.

"I only did it because you made me laugh," Russia said and Estonia nodded. He was about to head out until Russia said, "Where is Belarus?"

Estonia froze at the question and stopped in place. He slowly turned his back to face Ivan. He looked calm from the outside, but Eduard could feel the nervousness coming from the Russian when Natalya was mentioned. He acted like Latvia but without the shaking! It made Estonia laugh at how silly it was.

He was stalling, unsure of whether to tell him the truth. He did want to get back at him for the turmoil he and his brothers had suffered. But he did realize that the only reason that had happened was because he had tried to take advantage of Ivan.

He was still not as convinced of Russia's change of heart. He was slowly warming up to the Russian as he started to believe more of his siblings' recent stories of his 'soft side'. His brothers believed it, and maybe he would push his skepticism aside and be a good person.

He knew from experience to never try to do the same thing twice. He had made his decision.

He said with a stutter, "S-She is in your room waiting for you."

Russia smiled back in relief and now was thinking of another way to escape unnoticed. He headed back outside to take some fresh air and would come back later, hoping she would be gone.

"Spabiso...Estonia."

Estonia did not expect that. He muttered out a 'thank you". He stood there, dumbfounded and mouth agape.

"Russia would never thank us for anything...Am I wrong?...Should I give him the benefit of the doubt?"

More thoughts puzzled the Estonia as he headed to his bathroom to patch up his injuries and return to his duties.

He was unaware of the remorseful look on Ivan's face when he left the door.

Meanwhile at Canada's house

Canada was busy reading some important files and signing them with expert ease. Occasionally he would take small breaks to rest his eyes or think about other things. His initials thoughts were about his schedule, but they somehow led to Ivan.

Lately, his thoughts centred on the Russian. They were mostly concern for his strange behaviour last time.

He was looking forward to his lesson for two reasons: one, to confront Russia and ask what was wrong; and two, to try to suggest Ivan that they could hang out some time. Canada shook his thoughts away. He did not think he could do the latter; he was still too shy to ask Ivan out. In fact, a part of him was still scared of Russia's reaction to this.

"Maybe it is too soon...maybe Ivan wants to keep this professional...Perhaps he doesn't want to hang out with me," Matthew muttered as he leaned back in his chair, his eyes staring at nothing with a frown on his face.

He was feeling insecure about his friendship with Ivan and making a wrong move on his part might deter Ivan from continuing this relationship. It was not that Canada was a bad friend; he had a few close friends that he could rely and depend on for serious matters, but it was the first time that Russia took an interest on him. To say that Canada felt real happiness that someone noticed him, especially a country like Russia with his history and presence that most countries acknowledged, made the Canadian feel giddy and special.

Canada thought that maybe Ivan would change his mind, and perhaps when the lessons between them were over he might stop seeing him.

Canada sighed. "Or worse, he forgets me and I'll be invisible again."

Canada pouted and closed his eyes. His body felt heavy and he sunk lower in his chair, already becoming a part of the chair. Matthew's mood worsened and his heart clenched, feeling the stabs of insecurity.

Soon Ukraine's words made him open his eyes and made Canada jump off his seat.

"Maybe...I'll tell him...If I do, perhaps it will persuade Ivan to be with me."

Canada's hope grew and he headed downstairs to see his bear. Canada saw his bear asleep and smiled. He entered the kitchen and looked in the pantry to find that there was no vodka.

"Oh no! It seems that I ran out" Canada checked his watch to see he had a few hours before his appointment with Russia.

"I still have time to head to the store." Canada made sure to grab his wallet and keys before heading out the door to the liquor store. Kumajirou was still in dreamland and was undisturbed.

Meanwhile outside

Ivan was having a stroll down the street. His thoughts preoccupied his mind with thoughts of Estonia's behaviour. He was puzzled by his honesty. He assumed that Estonia would seek revenge after his cruel tactic of getting his two brothers involved.

"But he did something nice...after I was being mean," Ivan said aloud, and that got a few stares from the passers-by, which he ignored.

"Is this what Matvey meant...some people are nice for other reasons beside benefits?" Ivan thought back to his first lesson with Canada when they discussed why people make friends for bigger reasons other than material gain.

Ivan could not grasp this concept, but slowly he was getting used to the idea of people showing their kindness towards him. He also felt a weird sensation filling his heart; it intensified when he saw Estonia's face. His feet carried him towards the liquor store and his feet stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened at what he saw.

Canada was walking towards the same destination and it made Ivan feel anxious. He was not ready to see his comrade. He hid in the alleyway from Canada's sight. He slowly peeked out with his body hunched so he stayed hidden, and he saw his friend enter the store.

He moved quickly to the nearest window and leaned closer to see the Canadian at the vodka aisle. His eyesight was good enough that he was able to see what vodka Matthew grabbed from the tallest shelf. His eyes widen in surprise; it was the most expensive vodka from the store.

Ivan felt giddy at Canada's choice; he made the assumption that the vodka was for him. At that thought, he felt depressed and started thinking about his previous dilemma: his final lesson with the younger male.

His eyes tracked Canada's body to see that he headed to the cashier and was about to pay for the alcohol. He knew he had to disappear before Matthew exited the store. He dashed away and headed back home.

On his way back home, he felt terrible, and seeing Matvey buying the expensive vodka made him guilty. He knew he didn't deserve it, seeing how he had broken Matvey's promise, but even more so he was afraid the Canadian wouldn't see him again.

It was the main reason why he could not tell him that this was his last lesson. It was funny that Matvey claimed to trust him but he had his own trust issues to deal with.

"Perhaps I have to do something to make sure he stays, da." Ivan was convinced that if he did come clean and admit what he had done, it would give Canada the incentive to leave.

"So I must create a lesson that would do that...but how?" Ivan asked himself, still walking briskly towards his home until his eyes caught something nearby.

It was a group of children playing street hockey. Ivan had to stop and look at the sight. The children, filled with smiles, playing competitively with one another. This perked the Russian's interest, forgetting the problem at hand and instead focusing on the match.

Ivan assumed the match would soon be over after hearing a child yell out that it was the last five minutes. There was a particular child that gave Ivan a sense of familiarity of someone he knew. The child was petite but was fierce on the ice, dodging his opponents with ease.

The little boy was heading towards the goalie, who was prepared to block. The player was getting close and was about to do a slap shot to the left, but Russia could tell it was a feint for his real shot to the right. The goalie flinched and blocked left, which the boy noticed, and he took a quick shot. He made the goal and the boy cheered in victory. The goalie, on the other hand, growled at his mistake, but ignored it to skate over to his friend with a small smile.

The match was over and both males congratulated each other. The winner was clearly proud from the way he smiled.

Russia smiled at the boy's victory and it gave him an idea! He rushed back home to get ready for Matvey's arrival.

Meanwhile at Russia's house

"Where is Big Brother?" Natalya ordered Estonia, who was blocking her way from exiting Ivan's room.

He was surprised that he had kept her inside by promising her that Russia would return, which at first had made her behave strangely well. But as time passed, she grew tired and was bored, harassing the other Baltics.

Estonia could have told the truth, but he was already uncomfortable in her presence. He knew Russia had left but did not know the reason. He still felt obliged to do his duty to the Russian, or perhaps it was that Ivan had spared him and, being the nice guy, he had to return the favour.

"I must have lost a lot of blood and suffered brain damage if I'm still being kind to Russia," he thought sadly, already having a pleading look on his face.

Belarus's glare was not making the situation any better, and her patience was running out by the second.

Estonia was running out of excuses of what to say to her.

He stuttered out, "I think he...he went to see his boss?" trying his best to keep a straight face. The Slavic woman's eyebrow's narrowed in disbelief.

"I would have known if he did...Are you lying?" Natalya leaned closer, making her appear scarier.

Estonia still held his ground, but his hands grabbed the end of his coat, making his knuckles white.

Natalya could sense the slave's nervousness, which was a sign that he was stalling. This made her a bit curious about what forced the geek help out Russia. She stayed silent and soon brought out a knife to scare him to tell the truth.

"Tell me this instant! Where is my brother?" Natalya threatened, bringing the knife closer to his neck.

Estonia was about to faint from the ordeal until he heard a voice.

"Natalya...he's right..." Toris said, which made Natalya lower her knife.

Estonia sighed in relief. His face showed confusion at what Toris had done.

"Russia spoke to me before he went out...saying that he would meet your boss after his; it seemed very important."

Natalya did a small smile, and judging by her look of happiness, both males could assume it had to do with her marriage.

The Slavic nation walked towards the elder and said, "Why did you not say so, then!"

Belarus seemed glad to get the information she needed. She could rely on Toris for anything to deal with Russia's country's issues. She hated how Russia favoured him, but if Big Brother could trust him...she would believe his word for now.

The younger lady left the house to head towards her boss's office to share the so-called 'good news'.

Toris did a small exhale at the feat he had accomplished. Eduard was about to say his thanks when his brother interrupted him.

"I'm not doing this for you...I'm still upset." Estonia looked dejected.

He tried to apologize for his actions to Lithuania and Latvia, but they gave him the cold treatment.

"I must go to Latvia...He needs help to clean out the basement." He walked away from the Estonian while Eduard stood still, already feeling miserable.

Estonia was still lost in his thoughts when the door opened and Russia appeared. He had a smile on his face and stopped when he saw Estonia.

"Privet...what are you doing…You should be cleaning, da?" Russia smiled and Estonia nodded as he walked away.

Russia was already excited and Estonia noticed the mood change. The Russian still felt the weird sensation upon seeing his Baltic slave leave, which made him pout in confusion.

"I do not understand why I still feel 'weird' about Estonia...Is it because I did something mean?"

Russia had to ignore that problem for now; he could ask Canada about it next time. For now he had to get his lesson ready in an hour before the Canadian's arrival.

Meanwhile back at Matthew's home

Canada returned back home and greeted his awoken bear. Kumajirou ran to his owner and felt his fur ruffled.

"Canada…where did you go?" the pet asked cutely, and his owner replied, "To the store to buy some vodka."

The bear shrugged seemed satisfied with the answer. He asked for food. Canada smiled at his bear's appetite and rushed into the kitchen to get him his food.

Fifteen minutes and a well-fed bear later, Canada was getting dressed for his meeting with Ivan. He wanted to take Kumajirou with him because he too wanted to see him.

"Are we going to see Vodka Breath?"

Canada was surprised at how concerned his pet was. He replied, picking him up and the bag to hold Ivan's drink, "Yes...I'm still taking lessons from him." Canada was anticipating this meeting to finally figure out what was bothering him.

"Are you going to be drinking then?"

Canada was confused by what the bear meant until he remembered the drink he had bought earlier.

"No…actually, it is for Ivan..." Canada explained, and the bear replied, "You should try to be like him and drink, it will help..."

Canada thought he was being silly. He was about to retort but his bear fell asleep.

He sighed, "Maybe..."

He headed towards Ivan's house. After forty-five minutes, he arrived at his doorstep and knocked to find Ivan already there.

"Privet..." Russia greeted him with a smile. He noticed his bear and repeated himself. Canada replied back with his greeting and entered his home.

He still was carrying a sleepy Kumajirou, so he gently placed him on the couch. He turned to find Ivan standing beside a foosball table.

Canada was surprised by the strange lesson. He was about to ask, but Russia beat him to it.

"It is for lesson...I notice you don't have much confidence...very important if you want to stand out."

Canada absorbed his words in understanding and Ivan continued to speak.

"An example would be America. He is loud and very obnoxious, but he is very proud of himself..."

At the mention of his beloved enemy he saw Canada's hurt face. Matthew hated when anyone mentioned his brother around him; it made him feel inferior, and this was one of the reasons why he had poor self-esteem issues. Always being overshadowed made Canada feel little compared to his large ego-centric brother.

"Do not worry…after lesson you would be confident like bear."

Canada did a small smile, hoping that the Russian's words were true. He headed to the table and his hands grasped the handles, about to start the game. Ivan too was quick to prepare and did a small smile, which made Canada feel a shiver down his spine.

"So, to be confident you must be good at something...what are you good at?" Russia asked as he adjusted the table knobs to make sure they were working. It had been awhile since he used the table.

Canada answered, "Well...I am good at hockey…"

Russia said, "I am good in hockey as well...If you beat me, you get to decide what to do to loser, da?"

Canada was shocked at the sudden proposal. He understood how wining could affect one's confidence, but what was Ivan's plan with this bet?

Matthew could have disagreed, but it gave him an idea. He asks back, looking at the Russian where he could see a glint in his eyes, "So whoever wins this match will make the loser do whatever the winner wants, eh?" Canada paraphrased, and Russia nodded with his infamous closed-eye smile.

"Ok!" Canada agreed, and he transformed into his hockey ego. Ivan could feel the aura around the Canadian change.

Ivan smiled and thought, "I will win this and make Matvey stay yes!"

Canada smiled back thinking, "I will win and he will have no choice to leave me."

Both males were determined to be victorious with their plan, but unfortunately there could only be one winner.

A few hours of grunting, yelling, cursing, and creaking later, this woke up Kumajirou from his slumber in time for him to see the final score between Russia and Canada.

The polar bear did not say anything, just in the zone watching with interest to see who would win. He did not get how this would help his master with confidence, but he enjoyed seeing the arctic males releasing their sexual frustration. This was great material to use to make fun of Canada afterwards.

"Yes! I win!" Canada cheered out loud, but his opponent was not too pleased with the outcome.

Russia was a sore loser and it = hurt his pride to be beaten at his own sport. Nevertheless, the Canadian did play well and would love to face him again, but on the real ice next time. A part of him was somewhat glad to see a smile on the Canadian's face, and it made his heart beat again.

"No heart!...Behave or I have to hurt you!" Russia mentally scolded his heart as he placed his hand on his chest in an attempt to relieve the pain.

Canada took notice after basking in his win to see Ivan in pain. He rushed to his side to ask if he was okay. Ivan was still standing, but the pain was constant so that he could bare it.

"Ivan! Are you okay?" Canada asked worriedly, and this makes Russia feel warm and his heart beat faster.

Matthew looked at Russia and thought of what happened that one time. He decided to hug him again. Russia was taken aback at this gesture, but shyly hugged him back. The beating and fuzzy feelings dissolved and Russia spoke.

"Spasibo...Matvey."

Hearing him call his name like that while looking at him with a dazzling smile made the younger male blush and stutter out a 'thank you'.

After some moments later, Canada released his hug only to clear his throat. Russia remembered the deal he had made before the match and he would keep his word. He waited for Matvey to speak. He was feeling nervous of what he would ask of him.

Canada shyly asked while avoiding eye contact, "Um—well, I wanted to ask if…if you could show me how to make…blinis." Ivan was surprised.

Russia wanted to make sure he heard him right. "Matvey, could you repeat that?"

Canada's blushed and repeated it, and Ivan laughed.

"Does Matvey want to spend time with Mother Russia?" Ivan poked fun at Matthew's expense, but he answered, "Of course…but I was…" Canada felt suddenly bold, and Ukraine's words reverberating in his mind made him speak out his feelings.

"I do want to spend more time with you…this friendship is important to me...eh?" Canada's confidence showed, and this made Ivan content to know.

"It is no problem…I show you best of Russian cuisine."

The Canadian beamed at the idea and soon wanted to ask what was bothering Russia.

"Umm...Ivan…I was wondering if there is another lesson for me?"

Ivan, feeling much better now that Matvey wanted to spend more time with him, answered bluntly, "No lesson…this is last one." He giggled and this made Canada gasp in shock.

"Ehhh?"

"Vodka breath says what?"

Both males were caught off-guard by hearing Kumajirou's voice. Ivan approached the bear, leaving a puzzled Canada to overcome the surprising news.

"Privet Kumajirou." Russia was glad that the bear had ruined the moment and decided to speak with him; he had started to warm up to the bear and missed his funny comments.

"Vodka breath." Kumajirou smiled lazily and Ivan patted the bear lovingly. Canada was enjoying the scene and thinking how cute it was. Matthew needed to use the bathroom so he excused himself, leaving the Russian alone with his pet.

"Where's my salmon?" Kumajirou asked, and Russia smiled.

"I have it...here."

Russia pulled out some salmon from his coat and the bear ate it happily.

"Well...this has been fun...Too bad it's over." Russia pouted at this. At first he did not like giving away good fish to a witty bear, but after some time...it felt nice when he did someone a favour.

"I do not mind giving you fish anyway..." Ivan bent his knees so he was closer to the polar bear.

Kumajirou asked, "Really?"

Ivan smiled back and soon felt Kumajirou snuggle closer to him.

"You really nice...you are good for Canada." Ivan's cheeks blushed at this, already glad that someone supported his feelings for the Canadian.

The polar bear decided to leave Ivan to go and take another nap. Russia was then waiting for Canada to come back to explain himself.

Canada appeard and faced Ivan. He asked, "Ivan...what did you mean this was my last lesson?"

"You do not need much lesson Comrade..." Ivan paused to think how to say this bluntly. "You only need a few tips to be noticeable and I think you are ready."

Canada sputtered out, "Really?" Matthew did not think he was ready, but after this lesson he did feel much more confident in himself.

Ivan walked closer to Matthew and lovingly ruffled his hair, being careful not to touch his 'sensitive curl'.

"Da...you are ready...I taught you well." Canada agreed and smiled at Ivan.

"Thank you for everything!" Russia smiled back, already feeling proud about helping his comrade.

Canada wanted to know what was bothering Russia, and it seemed like a good chance to ask.

"Um, Russia...are you okay? Is something bothering you?" Ivan's face did a small pout and he understood what the Canadian was referring too.

"I am fine."

Canada could tell he was hiding something, but he continued with more questions.

"Ivan...you were very troubled in the last lesson..." Canada attempted to coax him by hugging him. Ivan took notice but he didn't budge.

"I do not understand," Ivan denied, and Canada was getting frustrated, but he frowned at his friend's stubbornness.

"Ivan...aren't we friends?" Canada whispered while looking at his eyes.

Russia stared back, feeling his heart beat again. It was not too painful, but it made him feel fuzzy and warm.

"Da."

Ivan smiled and still stayed mum about it. A part of him could have told him the real reason, but he decided to tell him about another issue. Russia still remembered that Matthew too had something to hide dealing with England.

"Ivan?" Ivan's thoughts were interrupted when Canada inquired back. He was getting close to breaking down the walls between them. He could have done something to make Ivan tell him.

Canada had a gut feeling that Ivan was hiding something, he decided to use a different approach.

"Was it about me?" Canada meekly asked as he released his hold, making Ivan confused.

"Nyet." Ivan assumed he was referring to his fear of Matvey leaving him. That issue was resolved when he knew Matvey wanted to be with him. Ivan had a straight face and Canada could not tell if he was telling the truth.

"Well, is it about the friend project, then?" Ivan heard this and an idea popped into his mind. He just had the excuse he needed, even though it was part of the problem. The actual one was breaking Matvey's promise of being nice.

"Da..."

Ivan looked away, making it a convincing act which Matthew fell for. He wanted to tell him, but General Winter had trained him to never show weakness for anyone to take advantages of.

Old habits die hard...but he would try for Matthew.

Matthew hugged his student back, already finding it adorable. He promised him that he will do fine and will give extra lessons so he could be ready.

"Are you having problems picking someone?"

"I do...Very hard to choose!" Ivan smiled and Matthew commented, "Maybe you should pick someone from the five people you spoke to in your first lesson?"

Ivan paused to think over this suggestion.

"Good idea! I can try." Matthew beamed at his student's resolve. Matthew then went to his bag to retrieve Ivan's vodka.

Ivan's smile became a bit wider when he saw the expensive drink. He still feel sour about lying to Matthew, but he would tell him someday.

For now he would take it but not drink it. Matthew looked confused at seeing Russia not drinking his vodka. It was a peculiar sight for Matthew and he was baffled by it.

"Ivan...is there something wrong with the drink?" Matthew asked, already thinking he had made a mistake.

"Nyet...I'm surprised you bought such expensive vodka," Ivan muttered, but he put it safely in his coat pocket.

"Do not worry, I will drink it later." Ivan already had a very good use for this vodka for the blini date...because he had a plan!

Matthew felt a slight shiver but he ignored it. He said, "Ok then...It's just surprising not to see you drink."

Ivan giggled. "No, I'm not an alcoholic...I can control my drinking."

Matthew sighed, already knowing it was pointless to speak to him, especially when he was acting childishly.

"I'm glad Ivan is acting normal again," Matthew thought happily, and was getting ready to leave, picking up a sleepy Kumajirou.

"Ivan...please stay true to your promise, okay?" Canada said his final word as he left the Russian's home.

Ivan sighed in relief, glad that he had managed to dodge that bullet. Now he could be happy, knowing that all was going well for his friendship with Matvey. He would deal with the Estonia issue tomorrow morning. He had vodka! It made everything feel better!

With a smile, he went upstairs to get some sleep, already happy that Belarus had vanished. But he knew she would be back.


	13. Canada teaches Russia Lesson six

Russia was awake the next morning. He was already dressed and had tidied up his room before he headed downstairs to eat breakfast. His mind was refreshed and his smile present on his face.

"Maybe I should do something nice for a change..." Russia pondered, thinking back to Matvey's words of being kind. He still felt bad about Matvey's promise, but this was good practice; it might be a good opportunity to try it out.

He entered the living room and walked toward the table, already welcomed by his Baltic servants, but he noticed that something was off. He stayed silent as he headed to his seat and awaited to be served.

Lithuania handed his breakfast to him and went to fetch his drink. Latvia too was waiting beside Russia, still trembling, for his order.

Russia could see that Estonia was not with them. This made the Russian curious. He would usually see the trio together–trembling in fear, but nevertheless together as a unit.

He asked Latvia with a smile, "Latvia, where is Estonia?" Latvia quivered in fear and cried out, "He's in his room, Mr. Russia...sir."

Lithuania returned carrying his drink, which Russia took happily. Lithuania stood tall, awaiting his orders. He took notice of Russia's good mood.

"Sir...is there anything else you need?" Lithuania asked politely, but his eyes showed how scared he was.

"Nyet...resume your duties." Russia was done eating and rose from his seat. This cued Latvia to clean up after his boss and he went towards the kitchen to help Lithuania.

Russia went upstairs to look for Estonia. He was glad that Matvey wanted to see him. Another part of him felt terrible about breaking his promise to the arctic nation. He might have slept well last night, but he was determined to get the 'Estonia issue' resolved. He knew that he had a lesson with Matvey and he running out of excuses.

He could admit that Canada was sharp to pick up on his mood swings. He wanted to be fully alert for his future lesson.

He opened the door, which startled the Estonian. He turned quickly to see Russia with a smile that scared his heart.

"Um...Russia, shouldn't you knock first?" Estonia asked as he tried to get his breathing under control. Russia had a confused look on his childish face.

"Why would I need to do that? This is my house?" Estonia sighed and could not be bothered to argue back.

"Is there anything you want, Russia?" Estonia asked, expecting another crazy demand.

Russia answered back simply, "Da...We have to talk." Estonia was now confused.

"Russia, I–"

Russia cut him off. "Nyet...We are going to talk about what happened to my Baltics."

Estonia did not understand and stayed silent to listen to his boss. Russia pouted.

"I do not like how you guys are acting...this will stop, da?" Estonia was surprised at what he heard. He tried to speak, but seeing the Russian's face made him quiet.

"You go and apologize to your brothers," Russia ordered, and Estonia was baffled by the order but did obey.

Russia was close to the geek and it made Estonia gasp in shock. He later pushed the boy out of his room and slammed the door. Estonia, mouth agape, stood on the spot, trying to wrap his head around what had happened.

"Is Russia trying to help me out?" Estonia thought as he headed downstairs.

"I wouldn't be in this mess if he didn't threaten me," Estonia muttered, but then he stopped halfway to correct himself.

"If it wasn't for my love of technology, I wouldn't be in this mess." Estonia sighed as he resumed his trek to see Lithuania and Latvia.

The siblings ignored him, which made Estonia feel guilty. He pushed back his hurt feelings and was determined to get this issue resolved.

"Hey...I'm really sorry," Estonia apologized, and Lithuania and Latvia did not speak. Estonia took this as a sign to continue.

"I'm really sorry, I did not know Russia would do that to you guys...please forgive me." Estonia did not hear his brothers' responses and assumed he was forgiven, until he felt two set of arms wrapped around his figure.

"We forgive you," Lithuania said, looking at his sibling. Latvia too smiled.

"We didn't plan to stay mad at you forever...We're still hurt about it, but we'll get over it," Toris explained.

Latvia added, "Besides, even if you did it, Mr. Russia would have done so."

Eduard smiled, already glad that he had restored his relationship with his siblings. He said while his other brothers released their hold, "I think you should thank Russia for this..."

"How?" Latvia said, earning another confused look from Lithuania. Estonia, also with a perplexed look on his face, resumed speaking.

"Russia was the one that forced me to speak with you guys," he said simply, and his brothers stayed silent, trying to process the new-found information.

"I think I was wrong about Russia–I mean, I had doubts that Russia was changing–so it is one of the main reasons for the whole blackmailing idea," Estonia rambled on while Lithuania and Latvia kept listening to each word.

"He could have continued to torture us but decided to help me..." Estonia exhaled, and Lithuania and Latvia showed a small smile.

"See! We told you!" Latvia blurted out in glee, and Lithuania chuckled in agreement.

Estonia shrugged. "I guess so." He later paused and an idea came to mind.

"Wait...if Russia did change, who or what caused it?" This made the other two stop and think.

The boys were stumped at the mystery. They decided to figure out it later once they completed their chores. At the corner of the room, a familiar smile was present.

"Kolkolkol." Russia felt weird sensations in his heart; it was feeling very warm about the deed he had done. He disappeared from the Baltics' sight and headed to his room. He could now focus and do his nation's work.

Meanwhile at Canada's house

Canada was already awake and done feeding his pet bear and himself. He cleaned up the kitchen swiftly and was about to head upstairs in his study to get some nation work done when he heard the phone ring.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

"I wonder who it is," Canada said to himself. He quickly rushed to the phone to answer.

"Hello?" Canada said, and smiled at what he heard.

"Bonjour...Le Petit Mathieu." Canada smiled and replied back, "Bonjour Papa!"

"Oui...It is your Papa. How are you?" Canada was glad that his Papa had called him. But his gut was telling him that something was off.

"I'm fine, mon petit lapin," France answered, and Canada was curious about why France had called him. He did not mind his family members calling him, but they seemed to always want something from him.

That thought reminded him of America and concern plagued his mind. It had been some time since their last encounter.

Canada chuckled at the plan he had previously and went to ask his next question.

"Papa...how's Alfred? It is been sometime since I saw him," Canada asked, and France had to pause, thinking of an answer.

"L'Amerique? Ahh, he is fine...been bothering L'Angleterre." Matthew chuckled, already glad that his twin wasn't traumatized too badly.

"Sometimes I do not understand him, no? You are much too adorable compared to L'Amerique," France told Matthew. Matthew blushed, relieved that his Papa wouldn't see his embarrassment.

"Speaking of adorable, how is your relationship coming along with Russie?" France asked candidly, and Matthew's blush deepened.

"Well...I–um," Matthew stuttered as he fiddled with the phone cord. He tried to think of some answer to satisfy him without complicating the issue.

"We are getting closer." France gasped at hearing this. Matthew could hear the excitement in his Papa's voice. He was about to answer when he was interrupted.

"Did you guys did it on yet?" Matthew sputtered, unable to answer that, trying to overcome the shock.

"Non! Papa!" Matthew whined out. He could hear a 'tsk' from the receiver, but he chose to ignore it.

"It seemed like it will happen eventually...If so, please tell me all the juicy details!" France said, already nonchalant about the whole thing.

"Oui, Papa," Matthew agreed to keep his Papa happy. Matthew then asked, "Was that the only reason that you called me, to keep track of my love life?"

Francis gasped melodramatically and Matthew rolled his eyes.

"How could you think of me so!" France said, and Matthew was about to interject until he heard him speak.

"I wanted to call to also tell you about the next meeting, mom petit lapin." Matthew felt stupid for questioning his Papa's motives.

"Merci, Papa..." Matthew thanked for the information. He so focused on his lessons that he had not thought about the world meeting happening in a few days.

Matthew was about to ask for more details of the meeting but France beat him to it.

"It will be another world meeting, and Spain will host it." Matthew felt content hearing this. With his new courage, he believed he would do well in the next upcoming meeting.

He chuckled at the host, thinking back to the last time he ran a meeting; it had resulted in chaos.

France chuckled too, sharing a tender moment with his former charge.

"I know what you were thinking...Spain hosting the meeting will be very interesting, no?" Canada had observed through previous meetings that Spain tended to have trouble due to Romano.

"It was nice speaking with you, Papa," Matthew said, and France replied, "It is was nice, mon petit lapin. Have fun with Russie...but not too much fun," France teasingly joked, which made Canada blush and cry out, "Papa!"

Canada heard the dial tone and placed the receiver down. He sighed, "At least Al's okay...and I must see him, just to be sure."

Canada went to check his bear, only to find that he was asleep. He went to get his things and headed out to look for his brother.

After thirty minutes of travelling, he reached his destination; he stood in front of the American's door. He took a deep breath before he knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal America. He seemed to be okay judging by the grin plastered on his face.

"Al?" Matthew said, praying that his brother remembered him. A few nanoseconds later and Alfred's eyes widen in realization.

"Mattie!" cheered the American as he bear-hugged the northern nation.

Canada was glad that America had remembered his identity. He asked to release him and his brother complied.

"Hey Al...How are you?" Canada wanted to be sure his brother was okay.

"Great! Never been better!" Alfred smiled and he pulled his guest into his home.

"Al–wait! I wanted to only see you! I have to–"

"Dude! You finally visit me since like forever, man! You've got to check out the latest game Japan brought me."

Canada had not expected another visitor. Japan noticed Canada and raised from his seat to bow. Canada copied him in respect.

"Konichiwa, Japan-san," Canada greeted the Japanese man.

"Konichiwa, Canada-san," Japan replied.

"I'm sorry about interrupting."

Japan calmly stated, "Do not worry...It is fine. It is nice seeing you."

"Likewise," Canada said. America stood just watching.

"Dude, you have to try out this video game...It's totally awesome! Check out the zombies!"

Japan paled and Canada chuckled.

"Well, at least he seems okay," Canada thought internally, and was about to excuse himself to leave. America didn't take notice but had already resumed playing, sitting besides Japan, who was hesitantly picking up the controller.

Canada smiled at the scene, glad that his brother was fine. At least Al knew who his brother was.

He quietly exited the place and walked away from the American's home. He could hear the cheers of victory from the loud mouth and giggled.

As he headed down the street he was lost in his thoughts, thinking about Russia with a blush on his face until he bumped into someone.

"Sorry!" the Canadian apologized quickly, and shut his mouth at the sight.

"No problem, sir," England said as he patted away some dirt from his jacket. Matthew did not want to see England; his mind replayed those horrible memories.

"England?" Canada said, trying his best to remain composed.

England had an unsure look on his face; his eyebrows furrowed, lost in thought of trying to figure out this person's identity.

Canada, slightly pensive, decided to help him out. "It's Canada...Matthew...Alfred's brother."

"Ahh, of course lad..." England smiled but Canada could feel the awkward tension between them.

"So, um...are you heading to America's house?" Canada asked, trying to break the ice.

England said, "Of course I had to meet the bloody fool about our trade agreements, but he didn't answer my calls so I was headed to meet him."

Canada agreed politely, quickly trying to end his meeting without thinking about his harsh words.

"Oh...good luck with that...excuse me," Canada said while he excused himself to leave until he heard a voice that stopped his legs from moving.

"Oh, lad, I must remind you that we have a meeting to discuss our immigration policy," England said with an authoritative tone that put Canada on edge.

"Really?" Canada asked. He later thought about England's words to discover that he did have a meeting with the Brit.

"Of course! The meeting that you missed...It doesn't seem proper of you that you were unable to meet me so." Canada remembered that it was the meeting he ran away from when he heard England's confession. He pushed aside his bruised feelings and turned to face England.

"Oh...I will see you. What time?" Canada said courteously, and England replied back strictly, "10:00 am sharp the day after. I expect you to be there."

Canada saw the Englishman walk away and this made the Canadian rush back quickly home.

"What am I about to do...I'm not ready to face England," was Canada's lingering thought as he headed back to his home.

After some time later, Canada finally arrived at his home. He closed the door behind him and placed his belonging on the table. He later put his coat away and went to check on Kumajirou.

"Canada, home!" Kumajirou looked at his master and Canada leaned over to ruffle his fur. Kumajirou could see the worried look on the Canadian's face.

Kumajirou could ask, but he knew that Canada might admit his problems to him even without asking. He looked at his owner to cue him to speak.

"Kumajirou...I don't know what to do," Canada sighed as he continued to absentmindedly run his fingers through his pet's white fur.

"I bumped into England today...and he wants me to meet with him in a few days, and I'm not ready to face him," Canada muttered out sadly, which made Kumajirou whine softly at his master's distress.

"Fuzzybrows is a jerk to Canada!" Kumajirou said, which made Canada smile at his bear's attempt to cheer him up.

"You can be like Vodka Breath and beat him up," the polar bear teased, and Canada stuttered out, "No! I-I don't think it will solve anything. It might make things worse."

Kumajirou requested cutely, "Can I have food then?" Canada shook his head at his bear antics.

"Okay, then," Canada agreed after noticing that he too, was famished. He headed to the kitchen, his bear following, to make some sandwiches for him and to defrost a large salmon for his bear.

After twenty minutes of eating, Canada decided to head to his study to finish up his nation work. Canada dreaded paperwork! He sighed as he entered his room to see a tower of paperwork waiting for his signature.

"Maple! I hope I can finish before I meet with Russia," Canada said to himself as he walked towards his desk. Sitting down his in his seat, he grabbed a file and a pen and started to read.

Halfway through conquering the huge tower, he realized that he did not have a lesson planned for the Russian. He stopped his work to think, his eyebrows furrowed as he became lost in his thoughts.

After a few minutes, he came up with a notion.

"Maple Leaf!" Canada cursed as he ran his fingers through his silky hair to try to calm down.

"I will figure something out," Canada muttered, and he resumed his duty. He managed to get through his work and still could not think of any ideas.

"Maybe a small break will give me some ideas," Canada concluded, and he went downstairs to check up on his bear. He saw his bear happily napping and Canada thought how cute it was.

He soon prepared his living room, setting it up as his classroom. He set up the chalkboard and Canada took a moment to look at Russia's brainstormed ideas about friendship.

An idea formed in his mind and Canada's smile grew.

"I got it!" Canada cheered and headed in the kitchen to get some vodka.

Meanwhile at Russia' house

The Baltics were done with their chores for the day and they ate their lunch, glad that they had patched things up between them. Russia was in a good mood, which the three brothers noticed, but did not say anything in front of Russia in fear of turning his mood sour.

They finally get a well-deserved break and they decide to relax in Lithuania's room. Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia laid down on the comfy bed. They all simultaneously exhaled a deep breath to unwind from a hard day's work of slave labour.

The siblings lay there for a few moments, thinking of nothing in particular until Lithuania spoke, breaking the silence.

"I wonder who or what is making Mr. Russia act so nice to us." This made his other two siblings have curious looks on their faces.

"I think it's Russia's guest," Lithuania guessed, thinking back to that time that he was forced to make blinis for someone. "I had to make blinis for that person."

Estonia made an inquisitive look, and he believed that it was possible. When Latvia heard that possibility, his blue eyes widened in shock.

"Of course!" Latvia said, and this made the other siblings surprised. "I remember seeing this person that one time that Russia tried to hit me.

"He looked very similar to America...I was confused to why he was visiting Russia."

The Baltics were getting close to solving this mystery, but they needed one more clue. Estonia cleared his throat. He offered an idea, and Lithuania and Latvia had a terrible gut feeling in both of their stomachs.

"We'll spy on Russia." Estonia smirked as his eyeglasses twinkled.

Russia was in his study finishing up his nation work before heading to Canada's house. As he finished signing the last file, he sighed in relief at a job well-done.

A smile was plastered on his face; he felt good about his deed in helping his Baltics. Now Russia could have a clean consciousness and he didn't have to worry about breaking his promise; he had already fixed it.

Russia continued to rationalize and deal with his guilt and went to fetch his vodka from his coat pocket. He drank a large gulp and sighed, relishing the taste.

Unaware of his surroundings, Estonia was spying on the Russian. He was thankful that the door was unlocked so he was able to hear him.

"So far he seems happy...which is good," Estonia thought as he carefully peered closer.

Meanwhile, Latvia and Lithuania were watching over Belarus. They still felt obliged to keep their promise to Russia to watch over her. She was complacent for now. She had been in her room for quite some time. They were in the hallway away from her door, pretending to clean the decor as a ruse, and keeping watch in case she decides to head to Russia's room.

That wouldn't be good for Estonia; it would end their plan.

Russia's telephone rings and he answers he and smiles at the caller.

"Vanya...It is Katyusha...how are you?"

Russia, surprised at the unexpected call, replied, "I am good Sestra...how are you?"

She answered back happily, "Tak, I am fine...I wanted to tell you that I will be coming back in two days,"

Russia, pleased at hearing the good news, said, "It is good...the rest of the family misses you too."

Estonia heard every detail and was glad that Ukraine was coming back. He continued listening, hoping this phone call would provide him with the answer.

"I'm happy...Vanya, how is Matvey?"

Russia responded with a small smile. "Matvey is well...I will be seeing him at six for lesson," Russia revealed, and Estonia gasped at the information.

Russia paused, thinking that he was hearing something. Estonia disappeared, and he returned back to his call.

"Have you two gotten closer?" Ukraine asked, very curious about her brother's love life. This made Russia feel embarrassed.

"Sestra...I do want to be closer, but I worry that I may scare him away," Russia admitted, and Ukraine gushed at how cute her brother was acting.

"I have a feeling everything will be okay...Just follow your heart." Russia was confused at what she meant, but agreed anyway.

"I will see you later...take care," Ukraine told Russia, and he too said the same thing. He hung up the phone, thinking about his sister's words of advice.

"I think I need some more vodka" Russia said aloud. Trying to shake his doubts away, he went to exit his room.

Estonia rushed to meet his brothers at the end of the hallway. He saw them and was about to call out to them, but his legs stopped moving at the sight.

Belarus had left her room and was arguing with Lithuania, while Latvia was shaking, already intimidated by the girl.

"Why are you stopping me...desist, I say!" Belarus ordered. She was angry that they had blocked her way to seeing her Big Brother. Lithuania tried his best to stall. Latvia noticed Estonia in the hallway and tried to signal him to run.

Natalya ignored this to bring out her throwing knife. This made Lithuania pale at how scary the Belarusian was. Latvia pleaded, "Ms. Belarus! Please don't hurt him!"

Estonia took the chance to run and warn Russia that Belarus was on the loose!

Luckily, Estonia encountered Russia as he saw him returning back to his room.

"Russia! Belarus! Hide!" Russia's eyes widened in fear and he dashed downstairs to leave the house.

Estonia was glad that he had helped his master, but he had to run back to his brothers to save them.

Meanwhile in the hallway where Belarus's room is located

"Belarus...I think he's somewhere in the house...He told us not to disturb him," Lithuania told her, but Natalya did not believe his words. Latvia tried to help, but it made the situation worse; he got a knife pointed at him too.

"Really? If I'm going to believe you...what are you rats planning?"

Lithuania quickly answered, seeing the Slavic woman getting irritated by each passing second, "No...nothing of the sort!"

Lithuania was running out of things to say and his anxiety elevated. Latvia was still crying in an attempt to persuade her to stop.

Luckily, Estonia came in the nick of time just before Lithuania was about to be stabbed.

"Belarus! I think Russia's downstairs in the basement!" Estonia said. "I just met him and he told me he was done with his work, just to speak with you."

Belarus had a smile on her face and was excited to meet with her brother. She lowered her knife and went to head for the basement.

After she was gone, Lithuania and Latvia sighed in relief after the trauma they had suffered and asked why did Estonia had told her that.

"I sent her to the basement like Russia does when he had to do our chores...and the door only opens from the outside." Lithuania and Latvia smiled at the trick Estonia had played on her.

"I think Russia will kill us or reward us for what we did." Lithuania chuckled while Latvia smiled.

"We'll find out when Russia comes back! I know who it is!" Estonia referred back to the mysterious guest. This made the other siblings excited.

"Who is it?" Latvia asked, and Estonia answered, "It's someone called Matvey.

Lithuania was confused at the name. "I don't know who is called that." Latvia did not get it.

Estonia had to think until he had another idea.

"We can check the database on my computer," Estonia suggested. "It must be a country we know."

The trio ran to Estonia's room. When they reached it, Estonia booted up the computer and loaded the nations' profiles. Russia made Estonia keep records of all the countries just in case anything happened. After some scanning, they found a person that matched the description.

The screen showed a picture of Canada.

All three had shocked looks on their faces.

"This person does look like America," Lithuania commented. Latvia and Estonia agreed.

"Yes, this is definitely the person I saw last time," Latvia said, and Estonia clicked on the picture to read out his name.

"Matthew Williams, a.k.a Canada," Estonia read aloud. He thought afterwards and saw the connection.

"Of course! Matvey is the Russian version of Matthew!"

Lithuania smiled at the good news. "We must do something for Canada!"

"I have an idea!" Latvia announced and said his idea. Estonia and Lithuania agreed.

Back at Canada's house

Russia arrived at Canada's door, just in time for his lesson. He panted a few short breaths from his sprint from Belarus. He felt relief calm the fear in his heart, thinking about his escape from his younger sister. He could now focus on the meeting. Thinking back to the good deed he did earlier today made the Russian's smile a bit wider, so that the corners of his eyes had crow's feet. He was welcomed by a sight that made his heart beat happily; Canada wore a lovely dark red suit with a grey undershirt that reflected his sweet personality. The ensemble included a dark red tie and dark brown loafers that made the Canadian breathtaking.

"Privet, Matvey." Ivan smiled as he entered Canada's home. One of the things that the Russian anticipated was Canada's beauty; it shined through whenever he tried to impress someone. He appreciated the sentiment behind the gesture.

"Matvey looks nice, da." Ivan stared at Canada, making the younger male feel embarrassed by the compliment.

He smiled coyly back, "Thanks...Please be seated at your desk. It's time for the lesson."

Ivan nodded in agreement and headed to his seat, already content at the confidence Canada was showing. Matthew was in front of the chalkboard with a blank face, flipping over the board to reveal old writing. At, first the words on the board brought a sense of familiarity. After a few seconds of scanning, his eyes widened in realization.

Ivan looked at the same list from the first lesson that Canada had conducted. Ivan's eyes narrowed in contempt, his lips pursed into a childish pout, and he huffed out, "Why the list again?"

Matthew went to his desk to bring out a pointer and smacked it on the chalkboard, making Ivan quiet. "Because...this is a good way for review and to see your progress!" Ivan gave him a pointed look.

Canada ignored it and said, "We are halfway done, and at this rate you'll be almost done in no time." Ivan's face was blank, but inside he felt a flicker of sadness at hearing that his lessons would end soon. "But first, we will do the same brainstorm about friendship again."

Canada flipped the board to show the previous notes; the term friendship was written there with Ivan's answers. Ivan's pout was still present on his face. Canada erased the contents of the board and rewrote the word 'friendship'. Ivan, still feeling sceptical and somewhat cheated, decided to go along with the Canadian's lesson. Canada, prompt and facing the board, raised his right hand to begin writing down Russia's thoughts. It took five minutes and Canada took a step back to see a bunch of words. Ivan looked a bit surprised at his own answers. It read: people, vodka, happiness, trust, and Canada. Canada was curious to see Ivan's explanations for these words.

"Mr. Braginski...care to elaborate?" Canada looked at his student and Ivan cleared his throat.

He stated, "Da, you make friends with people and with people you want to be with." Canada smiled at this and nodded.

Ivan continued, "I wanted some vodka, but I noticed people with friends share things...I would like to get vodka from people." Canada giggled at that and Ivan was not amused.

The Canadian cleared his throat and asked his student, "I see what you meant by the vodka...Friends do share things with each other because they want to." Ivan slowly realized what his words meant, thinking about his views on friends you could take advantage of.

"Friends bring happiness!" Ivan was in a good mood and Canada's curiosity was piqued.

"Yes...friends can make you happy, but sometimes they bring other emotions, like sadness or anger." Ivan did not follow.

"I do not understand...You said by getting friends I will be happy." Canada quickly responded, "I mean that sometimes your friends can hurt you or can make you unhappy at times...This relates to trust, but we will talk about that in a later lesson."

Ivan felt the implications of what Canada said. He noticed a flicker of sadness in the Canadian's lilac eyes but it soon disappeared behind a bright expression. He wanted to ask why he had brought up such a negative topic. He stayed silent for now. His heart felt heavy and he pouted.

"Is something wrong?" "No, nothing is wrong," Canada said and changed the topic before Russia was about to ask again. Canada felt more guarded around him and did not want to trouble his student.

"Trust?" Canada asked. Ivan paused for a few moments before answering with a narrow look, "I know with friends there is trust between them...that is what people say, da." Ivan sounded unsure and looked at Canada for an explanation.

"Yes...usually when developing a good friendship with someone, you can develop trust between you and them. It's easy to gain but very hard to maintain," Canada said and walked closer to his student. "You can have many friends, but your true friends are those that stick with you and have faith in you." Ivan felt extremely comforted by this new information.

He agreed with a smile, "Da." Canada was elated that his student was well-behaved today.

"I think Ivan's finally getting the idea." Canada smiled as he thought this to himself. "Why did you said my name?" Canada asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice. Ivan smiled and, standing up from his seat, answered him with a hug.

"Matvey is my friend." Russia had to show him that smile that made Canada's heart skip a beat. Canada appreciated the kind gesture and shyly hugged him back. "Is it possible that he could see me as more? Maybe as a lover?" Canada's cheeks reddened at the romantic thought. Russia did not notice, which the Canadian was glad for. Russia released his hug and Canada had to clear his throat to shift his attention to the lesson.

"Now that we have understood and reshaped your view on friendship, I will test you to see if you look approachable to others." Russia had a blank look on his face. Canada saw this and stated, "This was from the first lesson: how to smile."

Russia nodded, remembering the lesson, and flashed another charming smile, which made Canada blush again. "Well, at least his happy thought is working...though I am curious to know what he is thinking of."

Russia stopped smiling and asked a question, distracting the arctic nation. "I think this review is helpful...I realize lessons are working.

" Canada was glad that Russia was doing well in his lessons. He tested him on the last thing, hoping he did not forget. "Lastly, I want you to smile at me." Ivan's eyebrow raised at this. He wanted to know why, but Canada beat him to it. "I mean...remember I said that you appear scary, which doesn't help with getting friendly with others...so I wanted to make sure that you can charm them away," Canada stated and looked straight at Russia. "Da."

Ivan agreed to the Canadian's logic and smiled, but it was creepy and Canada had to lean away. "Um...Ivan did you forget to think about that special thought when you smile?" Canada hinted, and Ivan remembered his trick.

Ivan closed his eyes to imagine Canada, smiling happily with his eyes wide open and looking at him with adoration. By then the Russian felt his face muscles move to form a dazzling smile which made Canada's heart beat erratically; Ivan saw this and decided to tease him further, bringing him so close that their bodies pressed closer.

"Like this, ?" Ivan whispered softly, making Canada's breath hitch. The teacher, his eyes widening a bit and his lip quivering slightly, noticed how close he was and said, "Yes."

Ivan was still smiling and Canada couldn't help but get lost in his amethyst eyes. It felt like eons until Ivan broke the silence, which allowed Matthew to increase the distance between them. Matthew cleared his throat, regaining control of the situation.

Ivan asked a question: "Mr. Williams, did I pass?" He thought he was being tested.

Matthew giggled at this. "Yes, and for that you deserve a reward!" Canada went to his desk and brought out stickers.

Ivan gave him a pointed look at this. Matthew stuttered out, reading Ivan's face, "I noticed that I punish you in each lesson, and it's only fair I reward you because you have been on your best behaviour." Canada fiddled with the sticker sheet, and Ivan giggled at how shy the nation had become. Canada continued to speak, gaining a little courage when he saw Ivan's solemn face.

"I'm also rewarding you for keeping your promise to me...I may have to come up with a better one next time." Ivan felt a pinch of guilt but pushed it away; he hesitantly answered, "Da.

" He leaned closer to inspect the stickers and choose one. His eyes scanned the sheet to see an assortment of images ranging from cars to animals.

"Why would you have a sheet of stickers?" Ivan asked curiously.

Matthew replied humorously, "I would have these when Alfred comes over, as a way to control his behaviour. He loved stickers as a child and would be on his good behaviour when England ruled over us."

Ivan laughed at this; he couldn't believe that America was a child even at heart. He continued to look when his eyes saw an image of a sunflower. Matthew noticed Ivan's gaze and saw the same image.

"This one," Ivan said, and Matthew carefully peeled off the sticker.

He asked, "Where do you want it?" Ivan paused to think and came up with an answer. "On my notebook so I can have a bit of warmth in my house."

Canada did his job and asked, "Why did you pick the sunflower sticker?" Ivan smiled and his face brightened, which made Canada surprised but strangely happy.

"I love Sunflowers." Ivan giggled. "Russia's favourite flower because they are warm...it's too cold in the Motherland, so nothing grows, da."

Ivan's mood became depressed at the idea, and Canada felt sympathetic. Canada's hand made contact with Russia's, creating a firm but gentle hold. Russia did not expect that from the timid nation. Canada's cheeks were a light pink, but his grip was relentless.

"That's really sweet...coming from you." Canada was shocked at Russia's sensitivity and couldn't help his feelings growing stronger for him. Russia felt embarrassed, but thanked him.

"Spabiso...Matvey." Canada flashed a smile back. While holding hands, Canada asked another question: "So how is your secret project coming along?"

Russia replied back happily, "Da, it is well. I'm stuck between two people who are from the five I spoke to."

"I did not get to speak with him seeing how he doesn't attend the world meetings." Canada wanted to know who the person was, but knowing Russia, he wouldn't reveal their name.

"He is sometimes overlooked, but I think he will be easy da...seeing him reminds me a lot like Latvia."

Canada released his hold and dismissed his student. Ivan was getting his things ready when the Canadian's voice stopped him. "Ivan, you don't have any homework; just focus on the project, eh."

Ivan nodded and said, "As for Matvey's promise, I will fulfil tomorrow same time."

Matthew did not get what the Russian meant until the images of blinis came into his mind.

"Maple! It's tomorrow?" Canada had been so distracted with England's meeting that he had forgotten his 'date' with his student.

Ivan giggled and patted Matthew's hair, purposely brushing his curl. His expression remained clueless, but Matthew let out a small moan and embarrassment painted his face. "Désolé, Ivan."

Ivan giggled. "It is fine, you must have been busy." Canada sheepishly said while scratching his cheek, "Yes." Ivan said his good byes and left Canada with excitement and nervousness mixed together.

Kumajirou walked in and sighed, "Vodka breath gone?"

Canada took notice of his bear and answered, "He just left...you want to see him again?" Kumajirou nodded.

Canada checked the clock to see that it was close to midnight and he needed to get ready to go to bed.

"Come on, Kumajirou...Let's get cleaned up, eh?" Kumajirou whined, detesting bath-time. Canada frowned at this but headed upstairs.


	14. Blini Date

Canada's eyes slowly opened and he saw the sunshine distort his vision, which made him shift in his bed in an attempt to block out the sun. After a few minutes of squirming around in the sheets, he concluded that he was indeed awake and had to make breakfast for himself and Kumajirou.

Canada, well rested and refreshed, stretched his arms and proceed to go the bathroom to take a shower and brush his teeth. Twenty minutes later, a chipper Canadian exited his room to go to his pet's room. He slowly open the door to find his pet napping happily. He carefully approached his bear.

"Kumajirou...you have to wake up." Canada petted his bear gently, which stirred him but failed to wake him up.

Canada knew that his bear was a heavy sleeper. He was very difficult to wake up at times (compared to himself, who was a light sleeper.) He had an idea, and his hands tickled Kuma's fur and his tummy. It worked, as Kumajirou was awake and whined, "Mean trick!"

Canada giggled and patted his bear as an apology. "I'm sorry, but it's hard to wake you up, eh." Kumajirou did not mind, but he too was starved and wanted something delicious to eat.

"Pancakes?" Canada smiled and agreed. Soon both the individuals headed downstairs: Canada entered the kitchen to prepare the meal while Kumajirou sat on Canada's chair and waited.

It didn't take long for the Canadian to whip up two stacks of pancakes. During the thirty minutes of cooking and cleaning, Canada was humming a song to himself as a way to preoccupy his mind. Kumajirou went to take a nap after eating such lovely pancakes. Canada was about to wash his last dish when he heard the door ring.

Canada, who was a bit curious about who it was, rushed to open the door. His face showed shock at the surprise guests. There in front of the Canadian stood the Baltics. All of them. With small smiles. Lithuania had a bouquet of flowers, which contained daisies, sunflowers and tulips. Canada stared at them, mouth agape in surprise.

"Um, if I may ask, what is all this?" Canada asked, hoping that the flowers belonged to him.

Estonia was the first to answer the baffled Canadian. "These are for you...Canada."

Canada shyly accepted the bouquet of flowers and gestured to his guests to enter his home. The Baltics walked into Canada's house and marvelled at how nice it was. The Canadian thanked them for the compliments.

The Baltics noticed the sleeping polar bear and gasped at it, displaying their fear. Canada giggled at this. "Do not worry! Kumajirou is tame and won't hurt a fly."

Lithuania was the first to speak. Estonia and Latvia felt uneasy being in the presence of a wild animal. He started to tremble like a leaf in a windy day. Lithuania stuttered out, looking at the bear with wide eyes, "Really? I have never seen one before...are you sure it won't hurt us?"

Latvia nodded and Estonia stayed silent to confirm his elder's statement. Canada smiled and led the trio to his living room. "Please don't worry...Kumajirou is extremely friendly. Please sit down."

The Baltics hesitantly agreed and went along with Canada's words. Canada had to put the lovely bouquet of flowers in a vase first, leaving the trio to themselves for the time being. After a few seconds, Canada reappeared and sat down on the couch facing the trio.

"I did not expect any visitors...not that I mind," Canada said, embarrassed that he couldn't treat his guests properly. He asked if they needed something, but Lithuania declined politely on behalf of his two other siblings. Estonia and Latvia nodded to reaffirm Lithuania's words.

"Thanks so much for flowers. They are beautiful...although I'm curious about why you gave them to me," Canada said with a curious look on his face.

Lithuania was the first to speak. He said with a small smile, "Ah yes...they are for you because we want to thank you for all the hard work you did in helping Russia."

Canada was shocked at the reveal. He gasped at the discovery and was about to decline such claims. He remembered his vow to keep the lessons a secret. His hands raised defensively as he said, "Wait! I—how?"

Lithuania interrupted the arctic nation and nervously said, "Canada...please do not be upset! We figured out on our own!"

Canada stuttered out while still trying to calm his nerves, "Wait? How did you figure it out?"

Latvia got to speak and said reassuringly, "Russia did not tell us. We started to get curious about why Russia had been acting so nice..." Canada started to calm down a bit. He nodded, remembering that Latvia had seen him in his first lesson that Russia taught.

The Canadian began to believe his words and asked another question. "How did you manage to get my identity?" Estonia smiled cockily.

"I do have a database of all the nations identities, and Russia did say your name, so we put the clues together." Canada's cheeks blushed at Russia mentioning his name. He sighed in relief, glad that Russia had kept his promise, but now they had to be extra careful.

"Please keep this a secret...no-one else should know," Canada pleaded, and the Baltics agreed.

Lithuania was the first reply with a sheepish grin, "Do not worry, Canada...we swear! It's the least we could do after you made Russia a better, much nicer person."

Latvia nodded and Estonia sighed out, "Well, he is nice now, not like the last time." Lithuania nudged his arm in an attempt to silence him. Latvia shifted his eyes away, ignoring his elder's slip up.

Canada raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Wait...what do you mean by that?" Estonia realized his mistake and tried to provide an excuse, but Canada interjected with another question.

"Did Russia did something to you guys?" Canada asked, and judging by the Baltics reactions he knew he was correct. The trio lowered their heads in shame, and Canada repeated himself with a softer tone.

"Well...Russia did treat us differently before, until Estonia tried to blackmail him. It backfired and Russia punished the three of us by making us Belarus's targets." Canada gasped at this reveal and was now disappointed that his own friend had broken his promise.

Canada stayed silent, trying to process this, and his mind went back to the lessons. He thought back to those times that Russia was moody; his intuition told him that something had been bothering him. Canada frowned at this. "Did he not trust me enough that he was unable to tell me?" he thought to himself, and Lithuania noticed his distress.

"Please do not worry...Russia has been good to us since then." Latvia nodded again and said, "Yes, whatever you're doing it, helped him." Estonia nodded and Canada still felt horrible.

"I will take your word for it." Canada stood from his seat, which prompted the Baltics to do the same. "Thank you for everything!" Canada felt three pairs of arms wrap around him: he felt the body warmth of the trio and smiled.

The embrace ended and Canada beamed. The Baltics had to excuse themselves to leave; they had to go back to Russia's house to do the chores. Canada said goodbye to them back and waved goodbye. The trio disappeared, and this led the owner of the home to dwell on his thoughts. Canada sat on his seat with a frown on his face.

Canada was not alone with his thoughts, and Kumajirou, recently awoken from his slumber, saw his master's depressed state. The polar bear walked towards his owner and said, "Who?" Canada muttered out, playing with his bear's soft fur, "The Baltics...They came to visit and thanked me for everything I have done for Russia." Canada continued and his bear's coal eyes gazed at him, "I just discovered that Russia hid something important...now I'm not so sure."

Kumajirou snuggled closer to his owner and said with a huff, "Vodka breath is stupid! Too much vodka to drink." Canada smiled weakly, but his heart felt the burn of deceit. Canada stood up from his position while Kumajirou went back to take a nap. Canada headed towards his study to do some nation work to forget about his depression.

Meanwhile at Russia's house

Russia was awake and currently looking around his house for his servants. He had had his breakfast already, which was prepared on the table, which told him that he was done in advance. Russia called out to his Baltics slaves but heard a deafening silence in return. This was odd for the Russian, since he was not used to eerie quiet; he enjoyed hearing their chatter and/or their frightened whimpers instead. Something was off. When Russia had awoken from his slumber, he had not seen Lithuania greeting him in the morning or Latvia coming into his room with linen to change the sheets, or Estonian bringing his files from his boss.

He had not seen a hair of his Baltics, which made him feel confused and curious.

"Are we playing a game now?" Russia said to himself, feeling a bit giddy at the idea that maybe his Baltics wanted to play hide and seek. The Russian aimlessly wandered around the hallway with a small grin on his face.

Russia thought to himself with a small smile, "Is it because I did something good and they decide to do something nice back?" He thought back to his lessons and concluded this was what the whole phenomena was.

Russia looked around the halls. He peeked into Estonia's room and frowned. He later check Latvia's room and closed the door. Afterwards he looked into Lithuania's room and frowned again. "Maybe they are downstairs...da," Russia said to himself as he headed downstairs to the main floor. He looked at the living room and did not see anyone. He later checked the kitchen to see no sign of Lithuania making lunch.

Russia was getting irritated, but his child-like smile did not reflect this. Russia had underestimated his Baltics; he had never expected them to be so good at this game. He used to find them so easily, earlier when he was his 'older' self, and hurt them. After Canada's lesson, he felt much happier and started to view life differently. His smile grew wider at this, and it only encouraged him to find the trio faster–perhaps to do something nice for them...Russia wanted to win the game because he believed he was the best in the world.

He checked his study, the bathroom, the attic, and the garage. Russia was unsuccessful and he was beginning to feel defeat until an idea popped into his mind.

"Da...I know where they are!" The Russian dashed to the room where the Baltics are sent to do their chores. Russia was in front of the door and his hand was reaching for the handle.

Russia did not find the Baltics at all; instead, he saw an enraged Belorussian who was holding her knife, ready to stab anyone.

Russia paled at the sight like he had seen Satan himself, and he screamed so that his thick accent disappeared.

"Go Away!"

It took a microsecond for Belarus to calm herself and she transformed back to her normal self (Russia couldn't tell the difference; the woman was insanely scary). She beamed at seeing her brother and cried out, "Marry me, Brother!"

Russia was a smart man, and he knew what to do at times when a nation with abnormal obsessions wants to unify with you.

He ran like Italy fleeing from the British, only without the white flag.

Belarus ignored his never-ending pleas and chased after him with an awestruck face and eyes gleaming in delight.

"Never, Brother...you will be mine!"

"NYET!"

Meanwhile at Canada's house

Canada was in his study filling out his paper work. After the Baltics' visit to his home, the Canadian felt appreciated that someone had noticed his hard work. The lovely kind gesture from the trio made him feel elated.

"At least the Baltics won't forget about me..." Canada stopped looking at his report and leaned back into his comfy desk chair. He stared at a random point on the wall he was facing and his mind started to think back earlier to Estonia's words. He soon felt a wave touch his heart; he started to think about Russia's deceit and a prominent frown etched itself on his youthful face.

"Did he not trust me enough that he couldn't tell me about it?" Canada still looked at the wall and sighed, "How could I face Russia after knowing about this?"

Canada stood up from his seat and glanced at the documents on his desk. He knew that he could not focus on his work, so he decided to take another break to distract himself. He went to the kitchen to grab dome maple syrup to drown himself in.

"Maple...I'm starting to think maybe Russia doesn't trust me as he should..."Canada frowned and took a sip from his bottle. He was currently sitting on his desk, his arms on the smooth surface and his right hand holding the bottle. Canada lowered his head and groaned, "Arghhh..."

Canada stopped to think of the many possible reason for why he would do that and couldn't think of an answer.

"Maybe he somehow knew that I was hiding something from him..." Canada hypothesized, thinking back at those times that Russia asked the Canadian what was bothering him. Canada felt guilty and assumed it was somehow his fault. At that time, he wasn't ready to confide in the Russian about his 'England troubles', but after spending more time with him, he had started to have more faith in him then ever.

"Maybe I'll talk to him about it...after we finish making the blinis." Canada started to feel better, and he didn't want to make Russia angry, not after the hard work he had done to win against him in Foosball hockey. He wanted some Russian pancakes, and they tasted really good.

Canada saw his bear asleep on the living room and smiled at the sight. He put the maple syrup away and headed straight to his study upstairs to finish up his nation work.

Back at Russia's house

The Baltics entered the Russian's household and noticed that their master was not present in the living room. Lithuania was the first to speak, while putting his things away, "Do you think Mr. Russia noticed us being absent?" Estonia had already put away his things and replied back, "I don't think so...he usually is in his study doing his nation work around this time."

The Baltics heard someone screaming; Latvia's face looked worried and this put the other two males on edge. Lithuania was the first to remark, yelling, "What was that?" Latvia trembled and had no clue where the sound came from. Estonia, the calmer of the two, replied with an unconvincing tone, "It must be Russia?"

"Nyet!" The Baltics confirmed it to be so. Lithuania's eyes widened and he guessed, "You don't think Mr. Russia opened the basement door and perhaps freed Belarus?"

Latvia started to whimper at the idea and Estonia paled.

"Big Brother...Where are you? You must become one with me."

The male siblings' suspicions were true and now they rushed upstairs to help Russia out. The trio decided to split up to cover more ground. Lithuania headed upstairs to the third floor to check all the rooms and the attic. Meanwhile, Estonia went straight to the second floor to check his and his brother's room. Latvia checked the main floor, kitchen, living room and garage to locate Russia.

They hoped that they didn't encounter the Belorussian. She would definitely, without a doubt, kill them after what they had done to her. They also regretted not telling Russia about locking her up in the basement.

After twenty minutes of searching, the Baltics were unsuccessful in finding Russia.

Lithuania searched the attic and all the rooms on the third floor to no avail; he was not successful. He headed downstairs and did not see anyone at first. He continued to walk, hoping to run into Estonia and ask if he succeeded in finding him.

"Russia? Estonia?" the Lithuanian called out and heard nothing in response.

Estonia was at the end of the hallway and had just exited his room to call out to him.

Estonia ran to Lithuania and shook his head. Lithuania confirmed it that he too had not found him.

"Have you checked all the rooms on this floor?" Lithuania said to Estonia, who replied back, "Almost...I did not check Belarus's room or Ukraine's"

Lithuania nodded, assuming it would be a good idea to check them. After a few minutes of walking, they were in front of Belarus's door and opened it slowly. The duo's faces lost their colour at the sight.

Pictures of Russia covered all the walls: each picture had every expression of the Russian. Clearly, the woman was obsessed. Estonia quickly shut the door and both males gulped at how creepy the younger sibling was. They decided to check Ukraine's room and found it empty; the room was ordinary and clean.

Lithuania closed the door and sighed, "I feel as though Belarus kidnapped him"

Estonia commented, heading down the stairs, "Perhaps."

Another scream startled them and they recognized it to be Latvia's. "You don't think..." Estonia said, and Lithuania's eyes widened at the idea. They quickly rushed downstairs to the main floor to see Belarus with him at knife-point, ready to stab.

"Belarus! Stop!" Lithuania called out, praying that she would listen. Estonia decided it was a good idea to run and check the basement where they had hid the Slavic woman previously. He had a hunch that Russia could be hiding there. He did not know how to handle her, and out of the three of them, Lithuania was the best choice.

He hoped he found Russia soon and tried to think of a plan to get rid of Belarus also. His mind was working in the background as his legs carried him to his destination.

Latvia whimpered and glanced at his brothers and said, "Please Don't hurt me!"

Belarus, seething, replied back, "I should hurt you and your peasant brothers for locking me in the basement." The knife edged closer and Latvia cried out.

Lithuania carefully placed a hand on the woman's shoulder to coax the latter to lower her weapon. Instead, he got a few broken fingers in response. Lithuania cried out.

The Slavic women felt a bit better at hurting the eldest. The hand did not lower but her eyes narrowed, furious at the audacity of the rat to even dream of touching her.

"You–! I should kill all three at you for what you did to me," she barked at them, glaring at both of them which made them freeze in fear.

Lithuanian managed to speak, and held his hands out as a shield. "We did not mean to do so...we were ordered by Russia to do so."

"Silence! Why would big brother order you three to do so?" Belarus's voice lowered. She was speaking to them with a curious tone, but her voice still had that strictness which made them still scared.

"We don't know...why don't you ask?" Latvia said, and Belarus stayed silent. She lowered her weapon and headed off, but not until she said her final words.

"I would not get comfortable sleeping...I know where you sleep," Belarus threatened and she disappeared.

Latvia and Lithuania sighed in relief but were now very anxious about what the woman was thinking.

"I think we are too lucky. Don't you think, Latvia?" Latvia nodded, grateful that he was alive. Both males headed to the basement, hoping to see Estonia.

Estonia had already opened the door and his suspicions were proved correct. Russia exited the room and smiled at the geek. "Spabsio and sorry." Estonia was about to say 'You're welcome' but not got confused at the last word.

Russia had a smile, but his arms extended as if he wanted to embrace him. Estonia was surprised at the gesture, but his gut feeling was telling him he could die by suffocation with those strong arms of his. He looked at Russia with that closed-eye smile and his logic told him to run; he figured out why he looked so calm.

He was furious at their carelessness, so he did the most logical thing: he ran.

Lithuania and Latvia were about to call out to their brother to ask about Russia's whereabouts only to hear screaming and him running away from something.

"Run!" Estonia screamed and continued running. Latvia and Lithuania stopped walking instead to look confused. Lithuania looked ahead to see a happy Russian chasing after him. Lithuania looked closely to see the malicious intent behind that smile, and looking at Latvia, both nodded and ran after Estonia.

"Ahhhhh!" Latvia and Lithuania yelled out.

"I just want to give you guys a big hug, da," Russia announced, arms still outward, and ran faster.

Meanwhile at Canada's house

Canada was able to successfully complete his nation work after having some maple syrup to guide him through it. His mind was still thinking back to what Russia had done to him. Canada sighed, "Maybe I'm over thinking this...maybe Russia will tell me about this when he is ready."

Canada stood up from his seat and headed downstairs to check up on his bear.

He confirmed that he was awake and was mindlessly starting at the T.V screen. He checked his watch to see that it was past noon.

His stomach growled in hunger, which cued the bear to say, "I'm hungry!" Canada smiled at the happenstance and asked, "OK...what do you want, to eat Kumajirou?"

Kumajirou looked at his master and said, "Codfish...had too much salmon." Canada agreed and went to the kitchen to defrost the tuna. Meanwhile, he decided to make a sandwich. After twenty minutes, his stomach was satisfied and his bear took a small nap. This left Canada alone with his thoughts and a thought popped in his mind.

"Maple...how will I deal with Ivan after knowing all this...especially after the date when I have to resume his lessons." Canada's eyes widened in shock and now his face turned worrisome at the daunting task.

"Holy Hockey Sticks! I don't even know what to even teach Russia for the next lesson." Canada slammed his head on the table and felt extremely pathetic. He was running out of ideas to teach Russia, but he believed that he was ready.

Canada raised his head and, with a determined look in his eyes, headed back to his study to brainstorm some more ideas.

Meanwhile at Russia's house

Russia was in front of the Baltics. Seeing how bruised and hurt the trio were made him somewhat satisfied as he looked at their pathetic states. "Ow," Lithuania groaned out, still trying to recover from the crushing hug that he and his brothers had suffered. Estonia was on the ground, glasses skewed comically, and he whined out, "At least it's over." Latvia stayed silent and was still unconscious, since the hug had been too much for his slim body.

Russia smiled. "Why did you not tell me Belarus was hiding in basement, da." His eyes were closed and looked very intimidating. This made the siblings flinch at his scary demeanour; Latvia began to shake while Estonia was losing colour in his face. Lithuania was still in shock, his eyes glued to Russia's ever bone-chilling smile. He managed to answer Russia weakly, taking a gulp of air, "We had an errand to run and we forgot to tell you."

Estonia nodded while trying to get himself off the floor. Lithuania followed suit and was trying to bring Latvia back to life.

Russia did not buy the answer. In fact, he was more annoyed, and he chuckled quietly, "Da, you guys do know what happens when one makes mistakes, da?" The purple aura began to ooze out of his giant body. The hairs on the duo rose and their faces lost their colour. Russia was about to bring out his trusty pipe, and this made the Baltics cry out.

Russia chuckled and was about to raise his tool of destruction, only to find that he was unable to. It was a strange force that held his arms in mid-air. Russia 's mind flashed back to the Canadian's lessons and his words ranged in his mind: "I mean that sometimes your friends can hurt you or can make you unhappy at times."

A wave of guilt swooshed over his heart and he slowly lowered his arms. The Baltics did not expect it and stayed frozen; their shocked faces and tensed muscles were a dead giveaway. Russia noticed the fear on his slaves' faces and put away his pipe. He sighed, "I see what Matvey means...It is okay I am still mad but friends do that sometimes."

All three were in disbelief of what Russia had said, and Lithuania managed to say, "That is good?", the last word sounding uncertain.

Russia smiled. "Da! I am surprised how you three somehow got Belarus in closet, which is very clever."

Estonia was able to answer, now realizing that Russia was happy again and that he wasn't going to hurt them, "Well, I had to lie to her, stating that she was going to see you downstairs. She fell for it." Latvia chuckled and Lithuania sheepishly smiled at how true his younger sibling's words were.

Russia had a surprised look on his face and commented, "I see...then I do see logic behind it."

The Russian was about to head out to leave the trio to themselves until he remembered something. "Lithuania, I want you do something for me. Latvia and Estonia, go and do your work, da?"

Latvia and Estonia exited hurriedly, already grateful for the escape, but were a bit curious to know what Russia wanted with Lithuania.

Russia requested with a coy smile, "Can you show me how to make blinis?"

Lithuania had a confused look on his face. "What?"

Russia, eyes closed and with a small smile on his face, said, "Do not make me repeat myself."

Lithuania was slowly processing what the Russian wanted, and judging by his face, he was serious!

"Ok..." Lithuania had no other choice; Russia made sure of that. He entered the kitchen with his master following along. His anxiousness increased as his large steps loomed; Russia smile only making the brunette more worried.

Meanwhile at Canada's house

Canada was getting ready to leave his home to visit Russia for his so-called date as he reminded himself. He was dressed in a plain white T-shirt, blue jeans and some running shoes; he knew well that if he decided to wear his usual suit, his clothes would get ruined somehow when cooking or baking in the kitchen. Canada also tried to keep his emotions in check as best he could; he was still bothered by what the Russian had done, but he had to deal with that issue later. He checked his watch to see that he had some time left to do some last-minute checking and to see if Kumajirou needed something to eat.

Canada saw his bear on the couch, mesmerized by the T.V. He approached his bear and said, "Kumajirou, do you want something to eat?" Kumajirou raised his head and said, "No...not hungry." Canada thought it was strange; his bear was always hungry. Canada asked again to be sure. "I will be going to Ivan's house soon and I don't know how long I will be gone for." After hearing that explanation, the pet bear's eyes widen in excitement, and he stared at the Canadian's face.

"I want to come!" Canada chuckled at how cute his bear was acting. "Take me!"

Canada nodded and lifted his bear. It suddenly hit him that his bear hadn't gotten to see Ivan last time, so he was glad that his bear and him were getting along. "Do you miss Ivan, do you?" "Maybe," Kumajirou sassed, Canada could see the denial but stayed quiet instead. He began to be lost in his thoughts until a voice interrupted his musings.

"Do you miss Vodka Breath?" the pet asked, and Canada replied, "I do...more than you think, eh."

"You can always be like him," Kumajirou suggested, and Canada sighed at the advice, thinking at how silly it was, but it somehow held a deep meaning.

"I guess I could...Ivan's really confident and isn't afraid to say anything...Wait, what am I saying? My pet bear giving me tips on my love life..." Canada sighed again and soon left his home with Kumajirou tagging along. He locked the door behind him to head to Ivan's house.

Meanwhile at Russia's house

"You see, it's very simple," Lithuania said showing Russia how to make the blinis. He carefully brought out the utensils and ingredients to make the simple recipe. Russia stood there with a curious look on his face; he was surprised at how very knowledgeable the brunette was in cooking. He was glad that he made Lithuania do all the cooking.

Lithuania took some items from the upper cabinet and placed them on the table. Soon he went to the refrigerator to pick up the ingredients. On the table there were two bowls, two eggs, a small jar of yeast, a bag of flour, a pitcher of water, and beside it was a pitcher of milk, containers of sugar and salt, a butter stick, a jar of sour cream, a whisk, a spoon, cling film, a bottle of vegetable oil, a tray, some chives and a small container of caviar.

Russia stayed silent, seeing Lithuania at work. He explained how to make the blinis step-by-step. He slowly tried to understand what to do; he was afraid that he would forget a step and make a fool out of himself. He wanted to impress the Canadian so he stayed silent, patiently absorbing all the Lithuanian's words.

Lithuania was more calm this time as he talked about his cooking. "Mr. Russia, do not forget to mix the yeast and the warm water in a bowl first...so that way the blinis will cook properly." Russia nodded, which signalled the Lithuania to continue.

"After doing so...leave it for fifteen minutes. In the mean time you must make the actual batter."

"Da," Russia said with a smile as he leaned closer to the counter, and it make Lithuania feel uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he tried to remain calm and was already happy that Russia was in a good mood.

"To make the batter, use the other bowl to add the sugar, flour, salt and milk. Mix it well and then add the yeast to it."

"Da...that is easy."

"After that you must add the eggs and the butter and mix everything together." Russia understood and nodded again. Lithuania cleared his throat to remind himself of what to say next.

Russia then asked with a pout, "What is the point of the film then?" The Russian made the assumption that the batter was ready to cook. Lithuania quickly answered, waving his arms out, "This is the final step. You have to cover the batter with the film and let the batter rise."

"Why must I do that?' Russia questioned, and it made Lithuania nervous to see his face like that.

"I think the only thing left to tell you is to make sure that the batter does not stay longer that an hour, or the batter will taste horrible because of the yeast."

Russia's moods switched and he agreed, "Da, Lithuania is smart." The Russian smiled and checked his watch to see that Matvey would arrive soon.

The Lithuanian asked before he left, "Do you need to know how to cook them?"

Russia scoffed and said darkly, "Do you underestimate my abilities?' This made Lithuania flinch at the tone of his voice and he gulped.

Lithuania stayed silent, afraid to say anything to make the Russian's temper spark.

"You leave now so you watch over Belarus, da?"

"Yes, sir," Lithuania said and was about to leave when Russia spoke. "Make sure that all three of you are watching her...I do not want her interference to ruin this meeting.

"Lithuania...Spabiso." Lithuania did not expect to hear that. He left quickly.

Russia sighed and waited patiently for Matthew's arrival.

Russia heard a knock on the door knock, and he swiftly went to answer the door. He smiled at the sight of Canada holding Kumajirou. He greeted, "Comrade Matvey." Canada beamed at the Russian's mood.

"Hello, Ivan..." Canada politely entered his home and gently placed Kumajirou down on the floor. Russia was delighted to see Canada and his pet bear. He lowered down to the bear's level and said, "Comrade Kumajirou...it been some time since we last talk, da?" Kumajirou responded and gave him a small hug.

"Vodka breath..." Russia petted the bear, already feeling elated at how affectionate the bear was.

Canada smiled at the scene and put his things away. He called out to Ivan, "Ivan, I'm really excited for this."

Russia smiled. "This will be good, then." He led Canada to the kitchen to wash up before they began making blinis.

"I will show you how to make...very simple." Canada's eyes meant business and Russia could tell that he was ready to learn.

Kumajirou tagged along, considering he had nothing to do. "Can I help?"

Canada giggled at what he said, but he placed him on the opposite counter, away from the stove and the counter where the ingredients and other items were.

"No fair," the polar bear whined, and Russia laughed. "You have job, little one..." Russia pulled out his vodka from his coat. Canada had a dumbfound look on his face, but he later realized that it was a smart idea to not get alcohol near a flammable source. He place the bottle down on the counter only after taking a huge gulp. Canada sighed at how silly Ivan's drinking was. Kumajirou replied, "Thanks."

"See the items on the table? You need them to make blinis." Canada nodded, taking a mental note of each ingredient and dedicating it to memory. Russia was beside the Canadian, close enough that he could feel their shoulders touch. Canada could feel the warmth spread in his body and shyly looked away. Russia was oblivious to it.

"Mix the yeast and the water, Matvey." Ivan handed the bowl to the Canadian. He felt his face warm up when Russia's hands briefly caressed his hand. Matthew stuttered out, "O-ok."

As he was mixing the water solution, Russia was getting the pan ready and greased up with the butter from the counter.

"What do I do next?" Canada asked, looking at Russia. "

You then have to mix the batter...Take the sugar, flour, salt and milk."

Canada nodded and did what he was told; he was used to mixing the batter, but it was really thick. He was focused on his task when he felt a warm body become flush with him, warm breath near his nape and a calloused hand on top of his smaller, smoother ones.

Canada's cheeks reddened at the closeness and he asked, keeping his embarrassment under control, "Ivan...what are you doing?"

Russia smiled and Canada's spine felt electric. "I was helping...make the batter faster."

Russia was teasing, but he liked how Canada became embarrassed and shy around him. He held his hands tighter but moved the spoon slowly, as if he was more concerned with feeling up the Canadian's hands. Matthew's cheeks darkened and he looked at Russia. He could feel his throat constrict at the soft gaze directed at him. It made his heart beat fast. Russia too could feel his heart tighten and pump faster at seeing Canada's adorable face looking at him, with those purple-blue eyes looking at him so full innocence.

Canada did not mind, though; he, too, was lost in amethyst pools, and before he knew it, the batter transformed into a smooth consistency. Russia smiled. "That was quick. Now we mix the yeast into the bowl."

Canada nodded and was a bit sad at the loss of warmth when Russia had to release his hand. The arctic nation went to fetch the bowl and poured it into the batter. Canada gave it a quick stir to make the ingredients blend together smoothly. Canada was about to take the bowl and head towards the stovetop until Russia interrupted him. "Where do you think you're going with that?"

Canada looked confused and replied, "I was about to cook. Why?"

Russia giggled, "Silly Matvey, I was teaching you...You did not wait for me to tell you next step."

Canada sheepishly replied, "Sorry...I'm just excited."

Russia smiled at how cute the Canadian was acting. "Do not worry...We have to cover the bowl with film to make sure batter is rise."

Canada thought back to the yeast solution he had mixed. "Maple! I forgot about it."

Canada did what he was told and went to cover the bowl. He was now standing very close to the Russian and the proximity only made him flustered.

Russia took notice of his state, and coming closer to him, he smiled. "Is Matvey okay?"

Canada stuttered out, trying his best not to look at him, "I'm fine."

Russia took a step back, but not enough that Canada's personal bubble wasn't still violated.

Kumajirou was watching like a spectator and he sighed at how badly the nations are acting; they should seriously kiss or something. Since neither of the males had made a move, the bear took the initiate to start something. He saw the bodies getting closer, but Russia did not make the move to kiss him. Kumajirou had an idea and knocked the bottle of vodka to the floor.

Canada gasped at what his bear had done, and Russia glared at the pet for breaking his vodka. Russia could see his clear liquid staining his kitchen floors. Canada was about to approach his bear to scold him. He lost his footing and slipped.

Russia came crashing down in an attempt to catch the falling nation, and he landed on his back. It did not faze him, but he was glad that Canada was unharmed.

Canada spluttered out, "I'm so sorry, Ivan..Kumajirou is usually well-behaved and–"

Russia could feel all of Canada, straddling him just right. He could feel the maple scent waving off him. He edged closer to Canada's unsuspecting face; Canada's lips did not move, and he instead gazed intensely into his eyes.

Russia could feel his heart pumping at a much higher speed; it felt like it will fall from his chest. Canada was right there! He had to do something. He could see his parted lips and Canada's eyes naturally closed, as if he was waiting for a kiss.

Russia's heart couldn't handle the thought.

Canada felt his brain was full with too many emotions; Russia was right there and he could make his move. A part of him wanted to, but the other part of him could not; he was too afraid that Russia wouldn't reciprocate. Canada's face leaned closer and Russia followed suit. The space of their lisp shorten as their lips were about to meet.

Canada then noticed the compromising positions and was about to abscond and then apologize when he heard a popping sound.

There was a raging, beating heart on the floor and blood spilled away, making the floor more dirty.

Russia raised up and looking extremely embarrassed.

Canada's face lost its colour and he screamed.

Kumajirou covered his ears with his paws. His master was actually loud. Russia tried to calm down Matvey.

"Do not worry Matvey...it just falls out." Hearing that explanation just made Matthew panic more, and he quickly stood up and continued to stare at it with a pointed finger.

"But it's your heart...on the floor! But how? And why aren't you dead?" Canada ranted. His eyes still bugged out and he was now looking at Russia.

Russia nonchalantly shrugged and said, "It happens sometimes...but this is the first time it happened." Russia was secretly embarrassed by what had happened and that his heart had to cock-block him from actually kissing Matvey.

Another part of him confirmed something from all of this:

Russia was inconceivably head over heels for Matthew.

This made him utterly terrified.

He put on his poker face as he proceeded to pick up his heart. Canada was slowly coming around. He stopped screaming after the Russian picked up the heart; he could see it beating proudly.

Canada walked closer to examine the organ; he made the assumption that it wasn't damageed and questioned, "Are you sure you're okay, Ivan...you scared the holy maple syrup out of me!"

Russia smiled. "I'm okay now. I have to put it back." He did so in a matter of seconds and Canada saw more blood splatter on the floor.

"I'm so sorry about this, Matvey," Russia apologized. Canada did not mind and told him not to worry.

Kumajirou fled from the scene and Matthew realized that he had to give his bear a good talking-to afterwards. Both males decided to clean up the mess. They soon started to make the pancakes once Canada's appetite went back to normal.

"Ivan, I'm really sorry about the vodka...I will make sure to get you some, eh," Canada apologized again for the second time. Russia told him, "Do not worry, I have plenty of vodka."

Russia was flipping a blini and Canada got a plate to receive the hot pancake. He asked what to put on top and the Russian said, "Two spoonful of sour cream and a spoonful of caviar." Canada proceeded to do it and got another plate. Russia was flipping another blini and gently place it on his plate. Canada did the same thing again.

After twenty minutes of chatting and eating with Canada complimenting the food after each bite, both males were sated with food in their bellies and they proceeded to head to the sofa to sit down. Canada sighed contentedly, already happy for the food.

"Thanks so much for the food...I had a good time." Russia smiled and stood up to get something. He came back a few moments later with some vodka and two glass shots.

Matthew had a puzzled look on his face, wondering where he had gotten some vodka. He looked at it carefully to discover that it was the special vodka he had bought for him.

"You didn't try it?" Canada asked. He was worried that Ivan did not like the choice of alcohol.

Russia laughed. "This is very good vodka, and we drink it after good meal." Russia popped the cap open and he poured the transparent fluid into the cup. He then sat down and handed Canada a cup. Canada was about to refuse, telling him he wasn't much of a drinker. Kumajirou's thoughts came into his mind: "Be more like Vodka Breath." Canada's eyebrows lowered at the thought, but after seeing that charming smile, he couldn't say no.

"Okay," Canada agreed, and he held the cup to his lips and took a sip. He coughed out, "Arhh...how do you drink this?" Canada felt like his throat was on fire; the taste was so bitter.

Russia laughed as he downed another shot in front of him. "You get use to it...Drink some more."

He poured another glass, and Canada had no choice but to comply.

After thirty minutes of endless drinking, both males were smashed. Canada was already very drunk and Russia was not far behind. He was a steady drinker and was able to hold his alcohol, unlike a certain individual.

"Matvey was right about not being a drinker," Russia chucked, already reclined on the love seat. Canada was standing up. His clothes were in disarray and his hair was tousled after he had been dancing around sillily for the last fifteen minutes.

"Well, I can be called *hic* a drinker now...Look, I finished two shots." Canada sloppily held up two glass shots and leaned closer to the Russian. He giggled back a retort, "Da...two glasses is not someone is a drinker."

Canada huffed out, "I am anyway...Look, I'm drunk." He somehow managed to place the cups on the coffee table, but one of the cups toppled on the floor. Russia did not mind; his brain in haze and felt a warm body land on top of him.

"Opps! I can't do anything right," Canada scolded himself, and Russia stayed silent, preferring to hear what other silly things the Canadian would say.

"I wish I wasn't useless." Russia took notice of Canada's self-pity talk and was about to object to his statement when he heard something very vital.

"I just want England to...to..." Canada blubbered out; Russia could feel the tears on his left shoulder. "I want him to acknowledge me."

At first, Russia was confused at the sudden mention of the island nation, but then he remembered that Canada had a problem with England.

"Is this what Canada meant?" Russia questioned the drunk male. A part of him thought that he was still drunk and it didn't meant anything serious, but his heart whined in agony upon hearing the Canadian's self-abuse.

"England thought I was worthless...and maybe I am...I'm not beautiful or awesome, or powerful like any other nations." Russia's anger began to boil at hearing the truth from Canada.

Canada continued to sniffle and held Russia in a tight embrace. Russia had to make Matvey stop crying somehow.

He finally said, "You are not...England was wrong. You are very special to me."

Canada stopped crying and his body slumped nicely on his body. Russia stayed silent, basking in the embrace, until he checked to make sure that Canada was alive.

"Matvey?

"Matvey." Russia peered at the arctic nation to find that he was asleep. He had cried himself to sleep.

The realization hit him; he had been about to confess to him, but somehow God had given him a chance to take back what he had said. "I'm not sure if he heard what I said."

A part of him felt silly for doing that, but another part was hopeful to have this opportunity again.

But first he must deal with a new issue; "Kolkolkookol."

He carefully lifted the Canadian bridal-style and placed him on the couch. He scanned the room to look for the bear, only to find him gone. He shrugged and believed that the bear would do fine on his own.

Canada looked so cute sleeping like that; Russia saw a cloth on top of his love seat and covered the boy, making sure that he was warm.

"Good night, Matvey," Russia said sweetly. He removed his glasses and placed them on the coffee table away from the bottles. He checked the clock to see how late it was and decided to head for bed. He did not need to worry about Belarus finding him; the Baltics would take care of that situation. Besides, he had much bigger plans for a certain Briton for hurting Matvey.


	15. Chapter 14: Russia's final lesson

Lithuania was already awake early in the morning. He was starting the morning routine, getting breakfast ready for Russia, Belarus and his two siblings. He headed downstairs to the kitchen to get some ingredients until his eyes caught a figure sleeping on the couch.

"Mr. Russia did not tell me about a guest staying over," Lithuania said to himself, feeling curious about who the stranger was. His feet guided him to the sleeping figure. He gasped as the sudden realization hit him, "Oh no, this is not good."

Lithuania started to panic. He bit his lower lip in agitation. "What should I do? I can't let Belarus find him..." He knew for a fact that Belarus was a morning person and usually woke up fifteen minutes after him to do her usual stalker routine on Russia. Lithuania tried to calm himself down with deep breaths.

He gently shook the Canadian, which failed to wake him. Canada only snuggled closer to the pillow, drifting off to dreamland.

"Canada...Wake up!" Lithuania did the same thing again. Canada murmured, still asleep. Lithuania frowned at this.

"At this rate...even Belarus won't get a rise out of him." Lithuania got an idea and covered the arctic nation with a blanket, leaving a small hole for him not to suffocate. He left the Canadian to scan the hallways to see if the coast was clear. He scurried to his room to locate his brothers. Luckily, Estonia was awake and Latvia was with him. They appeared to be doing some cleaning in his room.

"Estonia, Latvia, I need your help." Estonia and Latvia both had curious looks on their faces, wondering what could be wrong.

"What is it?" Latvia asked, looking at Lithuania. The Lithuanian quickly replied, waving his arms frantically, "Canada is downstairs, asleep. I need your help to hide him from Belarus!"

Estonia gulped at the thought and nodded. "Ok." The trio excited the room, and with a fast pace rushed downstairs to find the Canadian safe.

"We must do this quickly, before Belarus arrives. Latvia, hold his feet," Lithuania ordered. "Estonia, try to hold his torso." Estonia did as he was told.

The trio, with a little difficulty, managed to successfully carry the Canadian upstairs (making sure not to disturb his sleep, but keeping an eye out for the Slavic woman).

The Baltic states gently placed him on Lithuania's bed.

Canada was still peacefully asleep, and the trio was glad. Lithuania had to go downstairs to get breakfast ready.

"I have to go downstairs. Make sure Canada stays here." Estonia nodded at Lithuania's words.

Latvia smiled. "It's the least we could do for him." Estonia smiled and headed to his computer to do some online banking. Latvia asked his elder brother, "Shouldn't we try to wake him up now?"

Estonia replied, still typing on the computer, "I think later would be best, right after everyone else leaves."

Lithuania was setting up the table when he spotted Belarus approaching him.

"Belarus, how long have you been there?" he asked in a scared tone.

Belarus answered, "It doesn't matter. Breakfast must be served; I don't want my Big Brother to starve due to your incompetence."

"Breakfast will be ready soon." Lithuania scurried out of her sight and entered the kitchen. Belarus, still glaring at him, decided to head upstairs to call her dear brother down.

Lithuania took roughly thirty minutes to prepare the food and soon heard screaming. He was about to leave when he saw a figure approach him.

"Russia?" the brunette squeaked, and he saw how utterly scared the Russian man was.

He grabbed his servant's shoulders and yelled, "Hide ME!" Russia' eyes pleaded for his safety and they widened when he heard Belarus's footsteps drawing closer. Lithuania, quick on his feet, told the Russian to hide in the kitchen. Russia did as he was told just in time for Belarus not to notice.

Belarus eyed the Lithuanian man and asked promptly, "Where is my Big Brother?"

Lithuania paused, trying to think up some excuse. "I think he went outside to get the morning newspaper." Belarus did not say anything, just stared at the younger male. Lithuania's anxiety grew and he was scared that she would call his bluff.

A knock on the door startled the servant, and he used it as an excuse to avoid answering her. The door was opened to reveal a familiar sight.

"Ukraine!" Lithuania said with a smile. He beamed with joy. "Please come in."

"Hello. It has been some time, tak?" Ukraine smiled and at the corner of her eye she noticed her scared brother hiding in the kitchen. Her eyes scanned the room to see Belarus, indifferent but acknowledging her presence. She inferred what had just happened and she began to save her Big Brother from his plight.

"Sestra! I see that you are fine," she commented.

Belarus replied, "Have you seen Big Brother? This idiot can't even answer a simple question." She glared at Toris, who looked away in shame, and looked back at her elder sister.

"I'm fine..." Belarus stated, and she was about to walk towards Ukraine when Ukraine clutched her shoulder and guided her away from the kitchen. She went upstairs, taking Belarus along the way.

"Come. Sestra, we have much to chat about...I heard there have been many improvements in your country." She turned her head to wink and resumed speaking.

Lithuania sighed in relief, and he soon was shaken by Russia, who was asking worriedly, "Where is Canada?" Lithuania reassured the Russian that he was safe in his room. Russia sighed in relief, glad that Canada wasn't discovered.

"Make sure he stays safe, da?" It sounded very serious and life-threatening to Toris, but he nodded anyway. Russia smiled. "Now I have some important business to attend to. If anyone asks, tell them I'm busy." His eyes gleamed with malicious intent, but Lithuania was wise not to ask.

"Ok. Don't you want any breakfast?" Lithuania enquired, but the Russian flatly refused. Lithuania watched his retreating figure and now was burden with a new problem: how to keep Canada away from Belarus.

"This is going to be a long morning," Lithuania sighed.

Meanwhile at Lithuania's room

Canada eyes opened slowly, and he felt dizzy. He did his best to figure out where he was. He felt so weak and exhausted. He knew from the sheets he was under and the soft item under his head that he was on a bed. He was in someone's room. His eyes widened in shock at the implication and he quickly rose to see Latvia and Estonia greet him.

"Hello Canada, how are you feeling?" Latvia asked, noticing how extremely tired the Arctic nation was.

"I feel like a polar bear is crushing my head—Kuma!" Canada gasped as he felt his head pound relentlessly, and he winced.

"Here, this might help." Estonia held out some aspirin and a glass of water. Canada was grateful for the needed aid.

"Thanks so much." After he had swallowed the pills and emptied the glass, he asked, "How did I get here?"

"Well, Lithuania saw you sleeping on the couch, so we three went to pick you up," Estonia explained. It made the Canadian blush in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry about th is," Canada apologized.

Latvia told him, "It is fine. For everything you have done for Russia, it is the least we can do".

"Thank you," Canada said with a smile. Now another question hit him. "Um, do you know where Russia is?"

Estonia and Latvia glanced at each other and replied, "I think he's downstairs, or perhaps he went out to do some errands."

The Canadian was somewhat not expecting that answer, but he commented, "I see...I must get going then..." Canada tried to get up, but his head was still hurting.

"Please stay for a while longer, until Belarus leaves..." Estonia advised, and Canada took his suggestion. His stomach growled, and it made the trio giggle.

Latvia smiled. "I will bring some food for you." Latvia left, and it was only Estonia and Canada left in the room.

Canada suddenly felt a weird sensation; he was really thinking that something bad was going to happen. He frowned and Estonia noticed. He asked, "Is there something wrong?"

Canada didn't want to bother the Estonian, and he replied, "No...I'm fine."

Estonia nodded, adding, "I think it could be the world meeting tomorrow that is making you this way. Right?"

Canada muttered, "I guess so." The reminder only made him recall his meeting he would have soon with England, and it sank his heart into a state of depression.

Estonia left Canada to his thoughts; he did have to do some chores so he didn't disappoint Russia. Canada stayed silent, and his depressing thoughts continued to swirl in his mind.

Meanwhile at England's house

England was at home, sitting on his armchair with a cup of tea and the daily newspaper. His eyebrows lowered at the displeasing news he read, and he tutted at how silly the celebrities were acting.

He sighed again and took another sip of his Earl Grey when a knock on the door made the Englishman frown. "I wonder who could be at the door at this hour?" England said to himself apprehensively. Nevertheless, the door must be answered; it could be something important.

Another knock was heard. England proceeded to open the door, and his eyes widened at the unexpected visitor.

"Russia?" The Briton was befuddled by the sudden visit from the Russian. England could tell Russia knew from his serene, but creepy smile that sent chills down his spine.

[I'm not sure if I changed that last sentence to what you meant or not.]

"Russia...not to be rude, but...why are you here?" England asked, giving his visitor a questioning look. Russia smiled as he let himself in and stared at England.

"I have some unfinished business to deal with," Russia stated, and England could feel the temperature in the room drop below zero.

England tried to play it cool, thinking it was international relations dealing with his country.

"Well...I think my boss didn't schedule a meeting with you...I think it must be to discuss—" Russia interrupted his blabbering with a glare and a 'kolkolkol.'

"I did not say it was a country matter..." Russia edged closer to the Englishman until they were only a few inches apart. England's mind was screaming at him to run, or to fight, or both somehow.

He needed to get out. A part of England did not want to be intimidated by the Russian. "Russia, if there is something you need, you must clearly state so...I do not have all day." England waved his right hand to emphasize his point. This made the Russian's smile grow a bit bigger.

Russia brought out his metal pipe and played around with it, and he saw England's fear in his green eyes.

"What is this meaning of this!" England shouted, and his brow furrowed in anger at what sick games his guest was playing at.

"This is for the all the pain you caused," Russia said as he began his strike. "You are the one that hurt Canada." England quickly dodged the hit, thanking his fast reflexes. Russia's smile was still on his face, but his arms were ready to strike again.

England, confused and angry at the accusation, retorted with a growl, "Who-what the bloody hell are you talking about?!"

Hearing that made Russia's blood boil, and he said, "You have hurt Canada with your words and now you must pay."

England panicked and did his best to diffuse the situation. "Russia..I think you're mistaken, I didn't do any harm...to...eh...Canada...I suggest you put an end to this and I'll let this matter be forgotten." The proper gentlemen act did not fare well and this made Russia do something unforgivable.

A scream filled the room as the blunt metal object made contact with England arm. It happened so fast that the Englishman did not have to have chance to dodge it. Russia's eyes made England freeze as his life flashed before his eyes.

Russia was towering over the supine body. His eyes screamed in delight at the pained look on the Englishman's face. He smiled. "Now, as you hurt Canada...I will finish you." He giggled and England was in so much pain, he couldn't defend himself. His right arm was completely smashed, as he found when he tried to block the attack.

As Russia prepared for the final blow, his arms stopped midway and he screamed. His conciseness attacked his soul, and thoughts of Canada flooded into his memory, keeping him frozen momentarily. He growled at himself. England could only look shocked at the Russian's state. He used this chance to get up or at least get away, since judging by his condition, Russia was clearly overpowered.

"Why?!..." Russia was trembling and his arms were shaking. He intended to beat England up ruthlessly, but a part of him knew that what he was doing was wrong.

Canada could never forgive him for what he had done.

"You must never...ever do this again, da?" Russia threatened with a smile, and he concealed his weapon. England, still on the ground in shock of what he had witnessed of Russia's display of mercy, agreed with a gasp, "Yes..."

They looked at each other's eyes, and Russia decided that he had solved the problem, but seeing England's eyes told him that it was personal and there would be another battle soon.

Russia turned his back and exited the building, leaving England in his pitiful state.

Once he was alone, England's anger was aflame from a bruised ego. He stood up with some difficulty from his now broken limb. He cursed out, "Damn you, Russia! Wait until the world meeting tomorrow. You will rue the day you crossed paths with me."

In the corner of his eye, he spotted the phone and made a call.

Meanwhile at Russia's house

Ukraine told him about the world meeting Spain would be hosting tomorrow. Estonia felt glum about the work he had to prepare for Mr. Russia. Latvia smiled, feeling glad to see the nations again. Belarus had gone out of sight after breakfast, and Estonia and Latvia went to check up in Canada upstairs. Ukraine and Lithuania were alone.

Ukraine was helping out with the dishes. Lithuania insisted he could manage on his own, but the older woman refused and with a cheery smile made the man give in to her.

"I see that big brother is doing well," Ukraine said, wiping a dish. "How is Canada doing?"

"I think he is doing well...Wait, how did you know Canada was here?"

Ukraine chuckled and explained, "After speaking with Belarus, I went to see Latvia and Estonia and entered the room to see him sleeping." Lithuania sheepishly twiddled his thumbs in embarrassment.

"Do not worry...I am glad that Canada is here." Ukraine, already done with her share, proceeded to wipe her hands. "I have to go back to my home to get my things. Thanks so much for breakfast. Do you know when Russia will come back? I must speak to him to see how he is doing."

Lithuania, unsure, replied, "He didn't say when...He said he had some unfinished business to attend to." His gut was hinting that it was something terrible, but he did not want to make the Ukrainian anxious.

"I will tell him as soon as he gets here." Ukraine smiled and exited the building with a good-bye.

Latvia appeared in the living room just moments after Ukraine's departure. Lithuania saw his younger brother's puzzlement about who had just left. Lithuania filled him in on the details about Ukraine and the state of Canada's well-being.

Lithuania also noticed Belarus's disappearance and told Latvia that it was okay for Canada to come downstairs. Latvia nodded and went upstairs to tell him the good news.

Canada arrived a few moments later with a bright smile on his face. "Thanks so much for everything!" he told the Baltics. Latvia said it was not a big deal. Canada exited the household and headed home to a hungry bear that was grouchy for keeping him waiting.

Meanwhile at Canada's house

When the Canadian arrived safety home, he was greeted by his pet bear, who was begging for food.

Canada bent down to pet Kumajirou and said, "I'm so sorry Kumajirou."

The polar forgave his master, hoping that he would prepare him some awesome fish for him to eat.

"How was Russia?"

Canada blushed at the hidden meaning behind those words. "Russia was fine...We had a great time," Canada explained, but he felt the bear's eyes on him. He continued, "It wasn't like that, mister...We just chatted and had a few drinks."

Canada didn't felt too confident with his words, thinking that he might have done something really stupid under the influence. The bear replied, "Sure...Hungry?"

Canada sighed and headed to the kitchen to prepare some salmon for his hungry bear.

Twenty minutes of cooking and cleaning and a happy bear later, Canada headed upstairs to his study room to do some work before his meeting with England.

The Canadian still wasn't ready to meet with the Englishman. He was already reading through his files when he received a call. Canada answered, "Hello, who is calling?"

"You listen you bloody idiot, I do not know what you did to piss Russia off, I bet it was one of your stupid plans that did it."

Canada was at first confused at the caller for yelling, but after a few seconds of hearing the voice, he recognized it to be England's. "England, what...huh?"

"Don't you start with me lad, I know you did this!"

"Wait, I didn't do anything!" Canada explained, and he heard England scoff at him.

"America, don't be daft, you insulted him and tried to shove your capitalist ideas on him. We both know he isn't communist anymore."

Canada, shocked and angry, asked England what Russia had done. England told him what had happened and he ended the call, so Canada had no chance to leave a hint that the Briton had mistakenly called the wrong person.

The Canadian silently put the phone back onto the receiver. His mind was still processing this shocking revelation. Canada clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles became white.

"How could he?" Canada yelled to no-one. "Why would he do that?"

Canada's heart was torn. A small part of him was angry that Russia had attacked England, and he was upset that he didn't know the reason why. But his heart had an inkling as to why. Another part of him was upset that all his hard work on his friendship training was in vain.

Maybe all this time, I did not know Ivan as well as I assumed.

Canada's mood plummeted. He needed to get to the bottom of this, so he decided to wait for Russia to come for his lesson. He needed some time alone with his thoughts to try to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Time flew by until Canada, still sitting at his desk, realized that Russia was about to arrive at his home for his lesson. Canada was still in a depressed mood, with his mind still thinking. A part of him was disappointed in his action and he soon started to think about the other times that Russia mistreated the Baltics, too.

"Is it possible that Ivan was always like this? But I wonder why Ivan would attack England?" he mumbled to himself as he headed down the stairs. Kuma was already taking a nap in the living room. The Canadian was now suspicious of Ivan and he wanted to get to the bottom of this. He was trying to think back to what happened yesterday. It could give him a clue to what had made Russia attack him.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock on the door. Canada hurriedly answered the door to find a cheerful Russian on his doorstep.

"Hello Matvey...I'm ready for lesson." Canada greeted his student and allowed him inside. He tried his best to keep his anger in check, and he reminded himself that he needed to have a clear mind to objectively analyze the situation.

"Ivan...we need to talk," Canada said.

Russia looked unsure as he replied, "Da, what is it?"

"Ivan, I heard about what you did to England...I want to know why."

"What are you taking about? You have to be specific." Canada frowned at the Russian's denial and asked again.

"Don't deny it...England called me and told me...I want to know what's been going on with you," Canada firmly stated, and he clenched his fists when Russia did not comment. "In fact, I recently discovered that you broke my promise about not hurting anyone. Does 'the Baltics' ring any bells?"

The look on Russia's face instantly became guilty, which was then replaced by a look of frustration.

"How did you—" Russia asked, but his question went unanswered because Canada was asking more questions.

"Did you not trust me? Is that why you did not tell me about it...that you broke your promise?"

This point Russia could not talk his way out of. He knew that what he did was wrong, but he felt it wasn't fair that Canada kept secrets from him. They were friends, right?

"You did not trust me either...keeping that secret from me." At first Canada was confused about what the Russian meant. Memories of the night before and the drinking came into light and he seethed at his despicable conclusion.

"You knew from last night...You got me drunk to confess to you." He sounded so shocked and upset, yet he didn't shed a tear. "Now that I think back, it was strange that you didn't drink the vodka I gave you two lessons ago and how you managed to trick me into drinking it, knowing full well that I don't drink."

His stared straight at Russia and he returned Canada's gaze.

"You didn't trust me enough to tell me about it," was Russian's petty excuse. Canada's anger built up and he wanted to scream at him for his inexcusable behaviour.

"I guess it was pointless teaching you then. I feel as if my lessons were a waste of time," the Canadian spat out in anger, and this made Russia react.

"What is the point of being nice if people will get hurt and not trust them back?" Russia was speaking form personal experience and years of brain-washing from General Winter. His vindictive habits were very deeply rooted into his behaviour.

"If England does that to you often, then it's only because you are too weak," Russia barked back. He immediately felt stupid for saying it. He saw Canada's head dip down, his eyes hid from view, and his body tremble in a lame attempt to hold back his tears.

Canada took a deep breath and announced calmly with an edge of assertiveness, "We are done...No more lessons."

Russia did not expect that. He had done a good job of getting back at England for what he had done to Canada, but he was getting reprimanded for his actions. He did not understand, but his heart was breaking apart at the news that he couldn't continue his lessons with him. He wanted to tell him about his progress with his secret project.

Canada did not move from his spot until he heard the door slam. He wanted to cry so badly; he had never felt so much pain from Russia.

"To think that I could have been something to Russia...I thought I could change him." He sighed and he felt something touch his leg. He looked down to find his polar bear.

"Vodka Breath won't come back?" he asked with a sad tone. Canada went to pick up his bear.

"He won't," Canada replied as he went upstairs to his room.

Owari

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews greatly appreciated


End file.
